Some vitamin supplements may increase the risk of lung cancer, especially among smokers, according to a University of Washington study.

A more than 77,000 people who take multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate didn't show any decrease in risk, Dr. Christopher Slatore said. "Indeed, increasing intake of supplemental vitamin E was associated with a slightly increased risk of lung cancer."

During the four-year study, 521 people developed lung cancer. That's about 0.6 percent. Researchers said that rate would be expected for a low-risk group of people.

But they also found what was called a slight but significant association with vitamin E use and lung cancer, along with expected links to factors such as smoking or family history.

Slatore said, based on modeling, that taking 400 milligrams of vitamin E every day for 10 years raises the risk of lung cancer 28 percent, though the overall risk of developing the disease is still low.

The findings were published in the first issue for March of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.