Response To Vitamin E And Haemorrhagic Stroke Study

A study in the online version of the British Medical Journal found that taking vitamin E can increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke.


Dr Peter Coleman, Deputy Director of Research at The Stroke Association says:


"A stroke is caused by a clot or a bleed in the brain, which results in the flow of oxygen to the brain being cut off, causing brain cells to die. Those caused by a bleed are the rarer kind of stroke, yet there are still around 8,500 first haemorrhagic (bleed) strokes per year in the UK.


This is a very interesting study that shows that the risk of haemorrhagic stroke can be slightly increased by high levels of orally taken Vitamin E, although what is a 'high level' has not clearly been ascertained, and more research is required to discover the mechanism of action and the level at which Vitamin E can become harmful. The Stroke Association urges people to maintain a lifestyle of a balanced diet, regular exercise and monitoring their blood pressure to reduce their risk of a stroke but would be very interested in seeing further research into this study".