A study appearing in the European Journal of Nutrition (2005; 59(12): 1367-1373) looked at 48 patients after an acute ischemic stroke. Within 12 hours of the event, patients were given either a combination of vitamins E (800 IU) and C (500 mg) or a placebo. They continued to take the supplement for 14 days. At the end of the two weks the treatment group had higher levels of alpha tocopherol and ascorbic acid than the placebo group. They also had better total antioxidant capacity and lower C-reactive  (CRP) levels than the control group. The supplementation may have an anti-inflammatory and protective effect.