VOA标准英语2011--Vitamin E Linked to Higher Prostate Canc

Vitamin E Linked to Higher Prostate Cancer Risk

A new study finds a link between vitamin E - a popular dietary supplement - and an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Ten years ago, scientists launched the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), to test the widely-held belief that the two supplements might help or prevent disease. Analysis from studies on skin and lung cancers had suggested that the mineral supplement selenium or vitamin E might reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
The study enrolled¹ 35,000 healthy men, 50 years or older, at 400 sites in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Eric Klein of the Cleveland Clinic says the $122 million dollar trial ended in 2008 when it became clear that it would not produce the 25 percent cancer reduction it was designed to show.
“We did notice however at the time the original study was closed that men who were taking vitamin E alone were trending toward having a higher risk of prostate cancer.”
Updated findings, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association show, no benefit for men who took the 400 International units of vitamin E a day and more importantly, says co-author and National Cancer Institute prostate cancer expert Howard Parnes, a real risk. “At this time the data show a 17 percent increase in prostate cancer, which is statistically² significant for the vitamin E alone.”
Researchers followed post-study participants for 18 months after SELECT was halted. Klein, who also contributed to the article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, says the researchers found vitamin E can have an effect even after the men stopped taking the supplement.
“There just doesn’t seem to be a reason to be taking vitamin E if you are a man over 55 or 60.”
Klein adds that the study underscores the importance of large-scale, population-based, randomized trials to accurately³ measure the benefit or harm of micronutrients such as diet supplements.

1 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 statistically   

ad.根据统计数据来看，从统计学的观点来看

参考例句：

• The sample of building permits is larger and therefore, statistically satisfying. 建筑许可数的样本比较大，所以统计数据更令人满意。
• The results of each test would have to be statistically independent. 每次试验的结果在统计上必须是独立的。

3 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。