Pharmacogenomics in prevention of diabetic cardiovascular disease: utilization of the haptoglobin genotype in determining benefit from vitamin E

Abstract

Numerous large clinical trials have been carried out over the past several years testing the ability of the antioxidant vitamin E to prevent diabetic cardiovascular disease. Meta-analysis of these studies has demonstrated that vitamin E does not provide any cardiovascular protection and may be associated with an increase in mortality. However, these studies did not address possible benefit to subgroups with increased oxidative stress. In this review we provide supporting clinical evidence and a mechanistic basis for utilizing a genetic marker, the haptoglobin genotype, in determining whether vitamin E therapy may or may not be beneficial for a given patient with diabetes.

Keywords::

• antioxidant vitamins
• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes oxidative stress pharmacogenomics

Financial & competing interests disclosure

A Levy is a consultant for Synvista Therapeutics. This work was supported by grants from the Israel Academy of Sciences, Binational Science Foundation, Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust and the Rappaport Research Institute to APL. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.