G.S. Omenn, G.E. Goodman, M.D. Thornquist, J. Balmes, M.R. Cullen, A. Glass, J.P. Keogh, F.L. Meyskens Jr., B. Valanis, J.H. Williams Jr., Scott Barnhart, Samuel Hammar, "Effects of a Combination of Beta-Carotene and Vitamin A on Lung and Cardiovascular Disease," New England Journal of Medicine, 334:1150-55, 1996. (Cited in at least 226 publications to date)

Comments by Gilbert S. Omenn, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor


HALTING FINDINGS: Michigan's Gilbert S. Omenn decided to prematurely end a vitamin A and beta-carotene supplementation trial when it was found that subjects receiving daily doses actually had an increased risk of acquiring lung cancer.
Two decades ago, vitamin A and beta-carotene, a plant pigment converted to vitamin A by the liver, earned widespread attention as possible chemopreventative agents against lung cancer. Twenty-one out of 32 observational epidemiology studies found a statistically significant association between low dietary or...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!