Vitamin E cost-effectiveness

Executive Summary

Researchers at the Medical Technology Assessment Group and the University of Sydney, Australia found a cost savings of $578 per patient in the U.S. and $181 per patient in Australia in coronary heart disease patients taking vitamin E supplements, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 American Journal of Cardiology. The majority of the savings were due to a reduction in hospital admissions for nonfatal heart attacks. Costs saved were related to bed stays, procedures and medication. The researchers based their estimates on published data from the Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study (CHAOS), published in 1996. The study of 2,002 patients found vitamin E reduced non-fatal heart attack risk by 77%