Vitamin E and Pneumonia Risk in Male Smokers
Author Information
Author(s): Harri Hemilä, Jaakko Kaprio
Primary Institution: University of Helsinki
Hypothesis
Does body weight modify the effect of vitamin E supplementation on pneumonia risk in male smokers who started smoking at an early age?
Conclusion
Vitamin E supplementation may cause harmful effects on health in certain groups of male smokers.
Supporting Evidence
- Vitamin E increased pneumonia risk in participants with body weight less than 60 kg.
- Vitamin E increased pneumonia risk in participants with body weight over 100 kg.
- The harm of vitamin E supplementation was restricted to participants with dietary vitamin C intake above the median.
Takeaway
Taking vitamin E supplements might make some male smokers more likely to get pneumonia, especially if they weigh less than 60 kg or more than 100 kg.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from the ATBC Study, focusing on male smokers aged 50-69 who started smoking before age 20, using proportional hazards regression models.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the observational nature of the study and subgroup analyses.
Limitations
The study's findings may not apply to all smokers, as the harmful effects were restricted to specific subgroups.
Participant Demographics
Males aged 50-69 years who smoked at least 5 cigarettes per day.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.002
Confidence Interval
1.03 to 2.53 for low body weight; 1.07 to 5.08 for high body weight
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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