Increasing vitamin E intake may lower risk of developing peripheral artery disease, finds study

A new study published in the journal of PLOS One showed that a decreased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) was linked to higher dietary vitamin E intake.

Peripheral arterial disease is caused by atherosclerosis and is a common condition affecting more than 200 million people globally. PAD affects approximately 8.5 million persons in the US, with equal prevalence among men and women over 40.

Vitamin E, an antioxidant that dissolves in fat, has been identified as a major role in lowering lipid peroxidation in experimental circumstances. Vitamin E has been linked to atherosclerosis and thrombotic complications. Its anti-atherosclerotic activity is attributed to a variety of biological functions, including antioxidants that scavenge free radicals and non-antioxidants that control signal transduction, cellular proliferation, and gene expression.

There is ongoing discussion on the connection between peripheral artery disease (PAD) development and dietary vitamin E intake. Thus, this study by Qiang Liu and colleagues wanted to demonstrate the connection between dietary vitamin E consumption and PAD.

The data from 6,588 individuals in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed retrospectively using a cross-sectional approach between 1999 and 2004. This study gathered information on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, body mass index, total cholesterol, HbA1c, age, race, sex, marital status, physical activity, education, and income. 

When all pertinent variables were taken into consideration, a negative relationship between dietary vitamin E consumption and the risk of PAD was found. The prevalence of PAD was 5.9% overall, with 50.4% of females and 49.6% of men affected. Peripheral arterial disease was less common in people in the 3rd quartile of dietary vitamin E consumption than in people in the 1st quartile. The subgroup analysis revealed similar patterns of relationship (all interaction P values were >0.05).

Overall, this study supports a negative relationship between dietary vitamin E intake and the prevalence of PAD in US people over 40. Therefore, to reduce their risk of developing PAD, those with inadequate dietary vitamin E consumption should think about increasing their vitamin E intake. 

Source:

Liu, Q., Wu, X., Wang, Y., Wang, X., Zhao, F., & Shi, J. (2025). Association of dietary vitamin E intake with peripheral arterial disease: A retrospective cross-sectional study. PloS One, 20(3), e0320356. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320356