All the people also took either a drug to lower blood pressure or another inactive substance. After four years, the researchers found that the drug to lower blood pressure was effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes. Vitamin E was not. Other recent studies have shown the same result. Researchers in Italy reported in August that vitamin E had no effect on more than eleven thousand heart attack survivors.
Some doctors say these studies show that it is useless to give vitamin E to people already suffering heart disease. Other doctors say they would no t stop their patients from taking the vitamin. However, doctors say the best way to reduce the chance of a heart attack is to eat low fat foods, exercise and stop smoking cigarettes.
