The effect of vitamin E on blood pressure in individuals with type 2 diabetes Ward NC, Wu JH, Clarke MW, Puddey IB, Burke V, Croft KD, Hodgson JM. School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Department of Core Clinical Pathology and Biochemistry, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia. OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress has been suggested to play a role in the development of diabetes, hypertension and vascular dysfunction. Vitamin E, a major lipid-soluble dietary antioxidant, has two major dietary forms, alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol. The potential importance of gamma-tocopherol has largely been overlooked. Our aim was to investigate the effect of alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol supplementation on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and heart rate, vascular function and oxidative stress in individuals with type 2 diabetes. METHOD: Fifty-eight individuals with type 2 diabetes were randomized in a double-blind, placebo- controlled trial. Participants were randomized to a daily dose of 500 mg/day RRR-alpha-tocopherol, 500 mg/day mixed tocopherols or placebo for 6 weeks. RESULTS: Treatment with alpha-tocopherol significantly increased systolic BP [7.0 (5.2, 8.8) mmHg, P