Low vitamin E status is a potential risk factor for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Objectives. To study the association of vitamin E status with occurrence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Design. A case-control study nested within a 21-year follow-up study. Subjects. Nineteen incident IDDM patients with an average age of 28 years a nd three individually matched controls per patient. Main outcome measure. Serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol. Results. Serum alpha-tocopherol concentration at the baseline examination w as inversely associated with IDDM occurring 4-14 years later. The cholester ol-adjusted relative risk of IDDM between the highest and lowest thirds of the vitamin concentration was 0.12 (95% confidence interval = 0.02-0.85). Conclusions. The finding corroborates the hypothesis of a protective effect of vitamin E against development of IDDM. Because of the relatively old ag e of the patients in the present population, further,epidemiological studie s on the topic are warranted.