The Effects of Vitamin E on Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Status in Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant defence capacity in diabetes me llitus and the effect of vitamin E treatment on these parameters a nd metabolic control of diabetes mellitus. Material and Methods: Sixty-three diabetic p atients (15 with type 1 diabetes mellitus, 48 with type 2 diabetes mellitus ) and 30 healthy controls were included in this study. For t he detection of antioxidant defence capacity, total antioxidant sta us (TAS) and for lipid peroxidation, malonyldialdehyd e (MDA) levels were studied. Venous blood samples were obtained for fas ting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDLcholesterol, VLDLcholesterol, apolipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B, Hb A1c after 12 hours of fasting and for postprandial bloo d glucose levels, after two hours from lunch. Then the patients were divided into two groups randomly. One group receive d itamin E 900 mg/day and the other group received placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment all the parameters were repeated . Results: Serum TAS levels were lower and serum MDA levels were higher in diabetic group compared to the control gr oup (p<0.005). The group that received vitamin E had st atistically higher TAS levels and lower MDA levels than the pla cebo group (p<0.05). There were no st atistically significant changes in lipid and glycemic parameters between vitamin E and placebo group (p>0.05). Conclusion: Vitamin E improves antioxidant defence capacity an d decreases lipid peroxidation which is a marker of o xidative stress in diabetic patients. However vitamin E does not have any advantage for glucose or lipid parameters over plac ebo.