Vitamin E supplements reduce the risk of ALS

A study published online in advance of the January 2005 issue of Annals of Neurology has found an association between the use of vitamin E supplements and a lower incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health followed 957,740 participants in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II for ten years. A follow-up of 170,000 subjects in 1992 showed that people who used vitamin E supplements for over ten years experienced less than half the risk of dying of ALS than those who did not report using vitamin E supplements.

Although vitamin E was the only nutrient examined that was associated with a lower risk of ALS, it isn't possible to rule out interactions with other nutrients or factors, since people who use vitamin E also tend to use other supplements.

The researchers speculate that the lower ALS death rate among long-term vitamin E users was likely due to a reduced incidence of the disease, not necessarily to a better prognosis among those already diagnosed with ALS.