Increase of serum levels of vitamin E during human aging: Is it a protective factor against death?

During the recent years, numerous reports have focused the attention on the role of vitamin E as a trophic factor in normal function of the nervous system and in protection against aging or other age related pathologies as tumors, Parkinson's disease and several spino-cerebellar syndromes. We have previously reported cases with severe neurological diseases, including peripheral and central pathology due to abnormality of primary symptoms after vitamin E supplementation. Here we report the results of our studies on the changes of serum concentration of vitamin E during development and aging. vitamin E has been measured in the serum of 479 normal subjects from the birth to the age of 106 years, groupped as follows: below 20; 20-40; 40-60; 60-80; 80-100 and above 100 years. The results, show a linear increase of serum vitamin E values (18 mumole/l in the youngest group to 33.2 mumole/l in the centenarians). The data may be related to higher vitamin E intake during aging or to higher adsorption, or to minor catabolism and utilization. In any case, the highest vitamin E availability during aging has been shown and its role in protection against death is discussed.