NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Vitamin E does not appear to improve symptoms of advanced heart disease, scientists report.

Their findings, based on a study of 56 people, add to the debate over the role of the antioxidant vitamin in slowing the progression of heart disease. While some studies suggest that vitamin E can prevent heart symptoms from progressing, other trials show that vitamin E has no significant effect on patients with heart disease.

To investigate whether people with advanced heart disease could benefit from the vitamin, researchers led by Dr. Mary E. Keith from the University of Toronto in Canada gave 56 patients about 500 IU (International Units) of vitamin E daily or an inactive pill (placebo). The researchers measured levels of various compounds in the patients' blood and breath, which serve as markers of how well the heart is functioning and how far their disease has progressed.

After 12 weeks, patients who took vitamin E had higher levels of the antioxidant in their blood suggesting that the vitamin had been absorbed. However, their heart function did not improve and their quality of life was no better than that of patients taking the placebo, findings show.

``It is obvious that any effect of vitamin E on the heart is minor,'' Dr. Khursheed N. Jeejeebhoy, a study author, told Reuters Health.

Patients with heart failure produce more free radicals, compounds that damage cells and lead to disease. Antioxidants such as vitamin E are thought to reduce damage to cells from free radicals, or oxidative stress.

``Unfortunately, we found that large doses of vitamin E alone will not reduce enhanced oxidative activity in patients with heart failure,'' Jeejeebhoy said.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001;73:219-224.