Just the opposite, they die sooner than expected.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elizabeth Childs [SMTP:echilds@linex.com]
> Sent: Friday, June 04, 1999 10:00 AM
> To: extropians@extropy.com
> Subject: Re: beta carotene increases mortality
>
> So when they say "increases mortality" they mean that the experimental
> subjects live longer?
>
> Doug Skrecky wrote:
> >
> > Citations: 1-2
> > <1>
> > Authors
> > Omenn GS.
> > Institution
> > School of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of
> Washington,
> > Seattle 98195-7230, USA. gomenn@umich.edu
> > Title
> > Chemoprevention of lung cancer: the rise and demise of
> > beta-carotene. [Review] [124 refs]
> > Source
> > Annual Review of Public Health. 19:73-99, 1998.
> > Abstract
> > Beta-carotene and retinoids were the most
> > promising agents against common cancers when the National Cancer
> Institute
> > mounted a substantial program of population-based trials in the early
> 1980s.
> > Both major lung cancer chemoprevention trials not only showed no
> benefit, but
> > had significant increases in lung cancer incidence and in
> cardiovascular and
> > total mortality. A new generation of laboratory research has
> > been stimulated. Rational public health recommendations at this time
> include:
> > 1. Five-A-Day servings of fruits and vegetables, a doubling of current
> mean
> > intake; 2. systematic investigation of the covariates of extremes of
> fruit
> > and vegetable intake; 3. discouragement of
> > beta-carotene supplement use, due to
> > adverse effects in smokers and no evidence of benefit in non-smokers;
> 4.
> > multilevel research to develop and evaluate candidate chemoprevention
> agents
> > to prevent lung and other common cancers; and 5. continued priority
> for
> > smoking prevention, smoking cessation, and avoidance of known
> carcinogens in
> > the environment. [References: 124]
> >
> > <2>
> > Authors
> > Heinonen OP. Albanes D. Virtamo J. Taylor PR. Huttunen JK.
> Hartman AM.
> > Haapakoski J. Malila N. Rautalahti M. Ripatti S. Maenpaa H.
> Teerenhovi
> > L. Koss L. Virolainen M. Edwards BK.
> > Institution
> > Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
> > Title
> > Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and
> > beta-carotene: incidence and
> > mortality in a controlled trial [see comments].
> > Comments
> > Comment in: J Natl Cancer Inst 1998 Mar 18;90(6):414-5, Comment in: J
> Natl
> > Cancer Inst 1998 Mar 18;90(6):416-7
> > Source
> > Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 90(6):440-6, 1998 Mar 18.
> > Abstract
> > BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies have suggested that vitamin E and
> > beta-carotene may each influence the
> > development of prostate cancer. In the Alpha-Tocopherol,
> > Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, a
> > controlled trial, we studied the effect of alpha-tocopherol (a form of
> > vitamin E) and beta-carotene
> > supplementation, separately or together, on prostate cancer in male
> smokers.
> > METHODS: A total of 29133 male smokers aged 50-69 years from
> southwestern
> > Finland were randomly assigned to receive alpha-tocopherol (50 mg),
> > beta-carotene (20 mg), both agents, or
> > placebo daily for 5-8 years (median, 6.1 years). The supplementation
> effects
> > were estimated by a proportional hazards model, and two-sided P values
> were
> > calculated. RESULTS: We found 246 new cases of and 62 deaths from
> prostate
> > cancer during the follow-up period. A 32% decrease (95% confidence
> interval
> > [CI] = -47% to -12%) in the incidence of prostate cancer was observed
> among
> > the subjects receiving alpha-tocopherol (n = 14564) compared with
> those not
> > receiving it (n = 14569). The reduction was evident in clinical
> prostate
> > cancer but not in latent cancer. Mortality from prostate
> > cancer was 41% lower (95% CI = -65% to -1%) among men receiving
> > alpha-tocopherol. Among subjects receiving
> > beta-carotene (n = 14560), prostate cancer
> > incidence was 23% higher (95% CI = -4%-59%) and mortality
> > was 15% higher (95% CI = -30%-89%) compared with those not receiving
> it (n =
> > 14573). Neither agent had any effect on the time interval between
> diagnosis
> > and death. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term supplementation with
> alpha-tocopherol
> > substantially reduced prostate cancer incidence and
> > mortality in male smokers. Other controlled trials are
> > required to confirm the findings.