Abstract
Huang et al of the ATBC study (Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention) reported a significant relationship between serum α-tocopherol with lower risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in men. The ATBC cohort analysis included 29 092 male smokers aged 50 to 69 years at baseline, and 23 787 deaths were observed over 31 years of follow-up. Compared with the bottom 20% of serum α-tocopherol concentrations, men in the top 20% experienced a 22% lower risk of total mortality. Their results were robust to several sensitivity and subgroup analyses and persisted over 31 years of observation.