Alpha tocopherol use in the management of diabetic cardiomyopathy: lessons learned from randomized clinical trials

Although animal studies suggested that there may be a role for antioxidants (especially alpha-tocopherol) as therapy for heart failure (HF), the results obtained from human trials are disappointing. The variability in the response to antioxidant therapy may be due to genetic polymorphisms in enzymes involved in oxidative stress. We strongly believe that we do not have enough data supporting the use of antioxidant treatment in the management of HF patients, including a diabetic subset.