A 20-year study of 400,000 US adults found that taking a regular multivitamin did not reduce risk of death, casting doubt on the effectiveness of multivitamins in extending life expectancy.
The results are based on an NIH study that analyzed dietary information from 390,124 U.S. adults over a 20-year period.
A large analysis of data from nearly 400,000 healthy US adults followed for more than 20 years found no association between regular multivitamin intake and a reduced risk of death. researcher in National Institutes of HealthAnnounced by the National Cancer Institute on June 26, 2024 JAMA Network Open.
Many U.S. adults take multivitamins in hopes of improving their health. However, the benefits and harms of taking multivitamins regularly remain unclear. Previous studies of multivitamin use and mortality have had mixed results and were limited by short follow-up periods.
To more deeply explore the relationship between long-term, regular multivitamin intake and overall mortality and mortality. Cardiovascular disease The researchers analyzed data from three large, geographically distributed, prospective studies of cancer-related associations that included a total of 390,124 U.S. adults who were followed for more than 20 years. Participants in this analysis were generally healthy and had no history of cancer or other chronic diseases.
Analysis and Results
The very large study population, long-term follow-up, and extensive information on demographic and lifestyle factors allowed the researchers to mitigate the effects of biases that may have influenced other study findings. For example, people who use multivitamins may generally have a healthier lifestyle, and patients with more severe illnesses may be more likely to increase their multivitamin use.
The analysis found that people who took a daily multivitamin had no lower risk of death from any cause compared with people who did not take a multivitamin, and there was no difference in mortality from cancer, heart disease, or cerebrovascular disease, after adjusting for factors including race/ethnicity, education, and diet quality.
The researchers noted that it will be important to evaluate multivitamin use and mortality risk in different types of populations, including those with documented nutritional deficiencies, and the potential effects of regular multivitamin use on other health conditions associated with aging.
“Multivitamin Use and Risk of Mortality in Three US Prospective Cohorts,” Erikka Loftfield, Caitlin P. O’Connell, Christian C. Abnet, Barry I. Graubard, Linda M. Liao, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Jonathan N. Hofmann, Neal D. Freedman, Rashmi Sinha, June 26, 2024, JAMA Network Open.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.18729
