Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation on Plasma Lipid, Apolipoprotein and Lipoprotein Profiles in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis

Background and Aims: Dyslipidemia is one of the well known risk factor for cardiovascular disease in patients on dialysis. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of vitamin E therapy on lipid profile in patients on hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Methods: This was a case-control study. The study was performed on 34 HD patients, 13 PD patients and 22 healthy volunteers with a mean age of 45.57 ± 8.54 years. HD patients were divided into two groups, i.e. treatment (n=19) and control (n=15). Vitamin E was administered, 300 mg/day, to the HD treatment group and PD patients for 20 weeks. Plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein(a) were examined before and after vitamin E treatment.

Results: Before vitamin E treatment, the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly lower in the HD patient group (35.91±10.54 mg/dl) and PD group (37.92±7.19 mg/dl) than the healthy group (44.27±8.33 mg/dl), (p=0.008). Before the treatment the levels of lipoprotein(a) were significantly higher in the HD group (28.12±10.85 mg/dl) and PD group (31.64±15.12 mg/dl) than the healthy group (22.09±9.05 mg/dl), (p=0.008). Lipid and lipoprotein levels in HD and PD groups were not changed significantly after vitamin E treatment.

Conclusions: Vitamin E supplementation is not effective on lipid and lipoprotein levels in patients on HD and PD.