• Its unprecedented findings reflect a study population of older patients (average age over 70 at the end of the study).
• Subjects already had vascular heart disease or very strong risk factors.
• The study patients also were taking a variety of medications for different health conditions.
• "Heart failure" as used in the report is not a heart attack, stroke or death, but a decreased volume of blood being pumped.

It is not the final word–even older patients with a history of heart disease, stroke or diabetes should understand the study results should be viewed in the context of other research.

• The study authors concede the results are "unexpected," have not been found in any other clinical trial, and "could be due to chance."
• This study is not the final word on vitamin E–other clinical trials are already underway.

Vitamin E provides significant health benefits.

• This study must not obscure vitamin E’s essential role in life and health, nor its long-term benefits.
• The recently revised federal Dietary Guidelines confirm that most Americans don’t get enough vitamin E in their diets (http://www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamine.asp). Supplements can fill that gap.
• Vitamin E has many potential long-term benefits for healthy people, including protecting against oxidative damage in body cells and reducing harmful inflammation.
• There is study evidence that vitamin E helps protect against:
  • Infectious diseases, especially upper respiratory infections
  • Some cancers
  • Eye diseases
  • Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s
  • Cardiovascular disease in some populations

Vitamin E supplements in common dosages are safe.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), a scientific advisory body, states that vitamin E supplements are safe within a wide range up to 1,000 mg (1,000 IU synthetic or 1,500 IU natural). HOPE-TOO subjects were taking 400 IU, much less than the upper level IOM considers to be without harm. Leading researchers also continue to believe supplements are safe at high levels, and several on-going studies are using doses above 400 IU.

Ongoing clinical trials involving tens of thousands of subjects reflect researchers’ confidence in the safety and likely benefit of vitamin E.