The antioxidant advantage of the Mediterranean diet in cardiovascular disease

Figures & data

Table 1 Summary of clinical trials showing beneficial, nonbeneficial, and adverse effects of antioxidant vitamin supplementation to female and male patients

Category	Subjects	Antioxidant(s)	Duration (years)	Outcome	Reference
Beneficial	F and M with coronary disease	Vitamin E, 400 or 800 mg	1.4	Decrease in MI	12
	M smokers with MI	Vitamin E, 50 IU	5.3	Reduction in MI	13
	F and M hemodialysis patients	Vitamin E, 800 IU	2	Decreases in MI, stroke and angina	14
	F and M with high cholesterol	Vitamin E, 182 mg + vitamin C, 500 mg	3	Reduced intimal progression in men	15
	F and M cardiac transplant patients	Vitamin E, 400 IU + vitamin C, 500 mg	1	No increase in intimal index	16
Non-beneficial	F and M post-MI patients	Vitamin E, 300 mg (synthetic)	3.5	No effect on MI	17
	F and M at risk of CVD	Vitamin E, 300 mg (synthetic)	3.6	No effect on MI, CVD death or stroke	18
	F and M with high risk of CVD	Vitamin E, 400 IU (natural)	4.5	No effect on CVD or mortality	19
	F and M diabetic patients	Vitamin E, 400 IU (natural)	4.5	No effect on CVD or mortality	20
	F and M patients	Vitamin E, 400 IU	3	No effect on intimal thickness	21
	Healthy males	Beta-carotene, 50 mg	12	No effect on MI, CVD or mortality	22
	F and M skin cancer patients	Beta-carotene, 50 mg	8.2	No effect on CVD mortality	23
	M smokers	Beta-carotene, 20 mg	6.1	No effect on all coronary cases	24
	M smokers	Beta-carotene, 20 mg + vitamin E, 50 mg	6.1	No effect on all coronary cases	24
	F and M with high risk of CVD	Vitamin E, 600 mg + vitamin C, 250 mg + beta-carotene, 20 mg	˜5	No effect on CVD mortality	25
Adverse	M smokers	Vitamin E, 50 mg or beta-carotene, 20 g	6.1	Increase in stroke and CVD mortality	26
	M asbestos workers	Beta-carotene, 30 mg + retinol, 2,500 IU	5.5	Increase in all-cause mortality	27
	Postmenopausal women with CVD	Vitamin E, 800 IU + vitamin C, 1,000 mg	2.8	Higher all-cause mortality	28

Abbreviations: CVD, cardiovascular disease; F, female(s); M, male(s); MI, myocardial infarction.