The effect of vitamin E supplementation (300 mg/day for 6 weeks) on blood pressure, forearm blood flow, forearm vascular resistance, plasma vitamin E level and lipid peroxidation status was investigated in adult sickle cell anaemia subjects. Ten adults whose ages ranged from 19.0 to 25.0 years (mean 22.8+/-0.8 years) were studied. Vitamin E supplementation had little or no effect on arterial blood pressure but significantly increased forearm blood flow (p<0.001) and plasma vitamin E level (p<0.001). However it significantly decreased lipid peroxidation status (p<0.001) and forearm vascular resistance (p<0.001). The change in plasma vitamin E concentration correlated negatively with change in lipid peroxidation status (r=-0.8; p=0.003). However, change in plasma vitamin E concentration correlated positively with change in forearm blood flow (r=0.8; p=0.006). There was an inverse correlation between change in plasma lipid peroxidation and change in forearm blood flow (r=-0.7; p=0.03). The study therefore shows that in sickle cell anaemia subjects, vitamin E supplementation increases forearm blood flow and reduces forearm vascular resistance and lipid peroxidation. The increase in forearm blood flow correlates inversely with the reduction in lipid peroxidation. This suggests that in sickle cell anaemia subjects, vitamin E supplementation could cause an increase in forearm blood flow by decreasing plasma lipid peroxidation level.
Adult Anemia, Sickle Cell