Vitamin E
Updated: Nov 27,2024 Author: Edward Charbek, MD, FCCP; Chief Editor: Sridevi Devaraj, PhD,
DABCC, FAACC, FRSC, CCRP
Reference Range
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant and free-radical scavenger in lipophilic
environments. Vitamin E requires bile for absorption, and 25% of it is absorbed orally. The vitamin is
stored in adipose tissue, liver, and muscle.
The reference range of vitamin E in adults is 5.5-17 µg/mL. In children, it is 3-18.4 µg/mL. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Interpretation
Conditions associated with vitamin E deficiency (< 3 µg/mL in adults; < 1.5 µg/mL in infants) include
the following:
Motor and sensory neuropathy
Intestinal fat malabsorption (bowel disease, pancreatic disease, chronic cholestasis, celiac
disease, cystic fibrosis, short-bowel syndrome, abetalipoproteinemia, intestinal
lymphangiectasia)
Vitamin E toxicity (>40 µg/mL) may be associated with the following:
Increased all-cause mortality
Heart failure
Coagulopathy (easy bruising or bleeding; prolonged PT, aPTT; inhibition of platelet aggregation)
Impaired immunity
Constitutional and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, gastric distress, abdominal cramps,
diarrhea; headache; fatigue; muscle weakness)
Collection and Panels
Specifics for collection and panels are as follows:
Updated: Nov 27,2024 Author: Edward Charbek, MD, FCCP; Chief Editor: Sridevi Devaraj, PhD,
DABCC, FAACC, FRSC, CCRP
Reference Range
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant and free-radical scavenger in lipophilic
environments. Vitamin E requires bile for absorption, and 25% of it is absorbed orally. The vitamin is
stored in adipose tissue, liver, and muscle.
The reference range of vitamin E in adults is 5.5-17 µg/mL. In children, it is 3-18.4 µg/mL. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Interpretation
Conditions associated with vitamin E deficiency (< 3 µg/mL in adults; < 1.5 µg/mL in infants) include
the following:
Motor and sensory neuropathy
Intestinal fat malabsorption (bowel disease, pancreatic disease, chronic cholestasis, celiac
disease, cystic fibrosis, short-bowel syndrome, abetalipoproteinemia, intestinal
lymphangiectasia)
Vitamin E toxicity (>40 µg/mL) may be associated with the following:
Increased all-cause mortality
Heart failure
Coagulopathy (easy bruising or bleeding; prolonged PT, aPTT; inhibition of platelet aggregation)
Impaired immunity
Constitutional and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, gastric distress, abdominal cramps,
diarrhea; headache; fatigue; muscle weakness)
Collection and Panels
Specifics for collection and panels are as follows:
