Daily dose of vitamin E benefits people with dementia

A daily dose of vitamin E could help people with dementia carry out everyday tasks for longer, according to a new study.

The research published in the journal JAMA found people taking vitamin E had slower functional decline than those receiving the placebo, with the annual rate of decline reduced by 19 per cent.

During the study, the 613 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease received either a daily dose of vitamin E, memantine (a dementia drug treatment), a vitamin E-memantine combination or a placebo, and the change in functional decline was gauged over an average of 2.3 years.

Dr Doug Brown, director of research and development at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Treatments which can help people with dementia carry out everyday tasks are key to enabling those with the condition to live well for as long as possible. However, it is vitally important that people always seek advice from their doctor before considering taking supplements.

“In this instance, the dosage of vitamin E taken by participants was much higher than the recommended daily allowance and was at a level that could be significantly harmful for some.”

He added a note of caution and said: “While this study into the link between vitamin E intake and reduction in functional decline is of interest, it is by no means conclusive. More research is needed to see if vitamin E really does have benefits for people with dementia, and whether it would be safe to be taking such a high dose on a daily basis.”

The study by Maurice Dysken et al is called ‘Effect of Vitamin E and Memantine on Functional Decline in Alzheimer Disease, The TEAM-AD VA Cooperative Randomized Trial’ and is published in JAMA.

Alzheimer’s Society research shows that 800,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer’s disease. In less than ten years a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7m people by 2051.