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To the Editor: Dr Meydani and colleagues¹ reported the results of a vitamin E trial involving residents in long-term care facilities. In a post hoc analysis, they observed a slightly lower common cold incidence in the group that was administered 200 IU/d of vitamin E (relative risk [RR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-1.01).

We examined the effect of vitamin E (50 mg/d) on common cold incidence in the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study cohort involving 21 796 male smokers aged 50 to 69 years at baseline.² We found no overall effect of vitamin E on common cold incidence (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-1.01). However, in an exploratory subgroup analysis, we found a statistically significant but clinically modest reduction of common cold incidence in city-dwelling participants aged 65 years or older who smoked less than 15 cigarettes/d (RR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.62-0.83), with no effect among elderly participants living outside cities . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Harri Hemilä, MD, PhD
harri.hemila@helsinki.fi

Jaakko Kaprio, MD, PhD
Department of Public Health
University of Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland

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