Physicians' Health Study II

Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Cognitive Decline, Colorectal Cancer, Eye Disease, Prostate Cancer

cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, eye disease, cognitive decline

The use of vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene, and/or multivitamins may keep cancer, cardiovascular disease, eye diseases, or cognitive decline from occurring. This randomized clinical trial studied vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene, and/or multivitamins to see how well they work compared with placebos in preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, eye disease, and cognitive decline in male doctors aged 50 years and older.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To determine whether vitamin E every other day reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer in older healthy male physicians. * To determine whether daily vitamin C and/or a multivitamin reduces the risk of total cancer in these participants. * To determine whether vitamin E every other day, vitamin C daily, or a multivitamin daily reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events in these participants. Secondary * To determine whether vitamin E and/or multivitamins reduce the risk of developing total cancer, colon cancer, and colon polyps in these participants. * To determine whether vitamin E, vitamin C, or multivitamins reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in these participants. * To determine whether vitamin E, vitamin C, or multivitamins reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration or cataract in these participants. * To determine whether vitamin E, vitamin C, or multivitamins reduce the risk of early cognitive decline in participants aged 65 and over. The Physicians' Health Study II was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, factorial trial that began in 1997 and ended in 2011. It was designed to test four supplements -- (1) alternate-day vitamin E (400 international units of synthetic alpha-tocopherol) or its placebo; (2) daily vitamin C (500 mg synthetic ascorbic acid) or its placebo; (3) a daily multivitamin (Centrum Silver) or its placebo; and (4) alternate-day beta carotene (50 mg Lurotin) or its placebo -- in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, eye disease, and early cognitive decline among 14,641 male physicians aged 50 years or older. Participants were randomly assigned in a 2x2x2x2 factorial trial to receive combinations of the four active supplements or their placebos. Pills and/or packaging were provided by BASF Corporation, Pfizer (formerly Wyeth, American Home Products, and Lederle), and DSM Nutritional Products (formerly Roche Vitamins). The beta-carotene component was discontinued on March 8, 2003; the vitamin E and vitamin C components ended as scheduled on August 31, 2007; and the multivitamin component ended on June 1, 2011.