This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Women's Health, Other  • Alert me on articles by topic

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: In their study of vitamin E in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer, Dr Lee and colleagues¹ analyzed results from the Women’s Health Study, a large randomized controlled trial involving apparently healthy persons. For those variables reported in the article, the randomization was effective in balancing the characteristics of women in the vitamin E and placebo groups. However, there is additional information that would be helpful in interpreting the results.

Approximately 25% of the participants had hypertension, 30% had hyperlipidemia, and 3% had diabetes. It is not clear whether these patients were treated and, if so, with what agents. Because the use of specific medications can affect cardiovascular disease outcomes in patients with these comorbidities, differential use in each study group could represent a confounding variable.

Also, although the questionnaires inquired about adherence to pill taking, the study did not assess actual adherence by study . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Sujeeth R. Punnam, MD
sujeethpunnam@hotmail.com
Nacogdoches Heart Clinic
Nacogdoches, Tex