Introduction
This study tested whether vitamin E could help adults with Down syndrome over age 50 by slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Participants took either vitamin E or a placebo for three years and were closely monitored throughout the trial. The study took place at 21 sites across the country and followed strict safety and research guidelines. Now, the goal is to share the valuable data from this trial with other researchers studying Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.
Principal Investigators
About
The Vitamin E Trial in Persons with Down Syndrome was funded in September 2000 and ended in April 2010; it was supported through NIH grant R01AG016831 over two 5-year funding periods. A randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted at 21 clinical sites, and researchers trained in research procedures recruited adults with DS older than 50 years to participate. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 1,000 IU of vitamin E orally twice daily for 3 years or identical placebo and were evaluated at 6 month intervals for the duration of the trial. The purpose of the current project is to make the data collected in The Vitamin E Trial available to the research community focused on Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease.