Multivitamin Use May Not Reduce Heart Disease Risk in Men

A new study suggests that long-term multivitamin supplementation may not reduce the risk of heart disease in men.

Multivitamins are manufactured supplements that may contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Multivitamins are meant to provide individuals with the proper amounts and types of vitamin and mineral nutrients that the body needs. Supplemental multivitamins may benefit individuals who do not get enough vitamins and minerals from food, as well as people who have difficulty absorbing nutrients from food.

The kinds and amounts of nutrients in multivitamins vary widely. A typical multivitamin and mineral supplement may include some or all of the following: vitamins A, C, D, E, and K; biotin; B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12); folic acid; and the minerals calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.

In a new study, 14,641 men at least 50 years-old were randomly assigned to receive d a daily multivitamin or placebo from 1997 through 2011 to assess the potential relationship between multivitamin supplementation and heart disease risk. The outcome measures included the combined results of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, as well as heart disease-related death.

Over an average follow-up period of 11.2 years, 1,732 major cardiovascular events were identified. The researchers found that, compared to placebo, a significant association between daily multivitamin supplementation and the risk for a major cardiovascular event was lacking. Furthermore, the specific risk for stroke, heart attack or heart disease-related death was similar for both the multivitamin and placebo groups. Additionally, multivitamin use did not alter the risk of cardiovascular events for men with or without a history of heart disease.

The authors concluded that daily multivitamin use may not lower the risk of cardiovascular events or heart disease in men. Further research in this area is warranted.

In addition to multivitamins, many other therapies have been studied for their potential effects on heart disease risk. Omega-3 fatty acid consumption is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk markers. Further research is required to determine if the actual risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced in these populations. Additionally, early studies in animals and humans suggest that diets containing chia seed may decrease risk factors for heart disease. Evidence suggests that the benefits of Salba® in humans are similar to those of other whole grains. Further study is needed.

For more information about integrative therapies for heart disease prevention, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness Database.

For more information about multivitamins, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements Database.

Comments

[Sara Berg]

Like many people, I have never heard of people taking a multivitamin specifically to reduce the risk of heart disease, nor have a heard of Dr's recommending it for that purpose. I think people take them for more general well being, and to bridge any potential gaps in their diet.
I think people just need to focus on their diet and exercise to ensure good health.

[AM]

While I think it's a great idea for people to take a multivitamin if they have a poor diet, why not consider changing your diet? Ayurveda teaches us that food is medicine! Having a heart healthy diet, as well as exercise can do wonders in improving cholesterol, energy level, and overall well-being. Also, taking a multi-vitamin doesn't do you any good if you don't stop eating cheeseburgers all the time. I think society has become too accustomed to taking a pill to fix a problem. We need to start reeducating at an early age to fix this problem! Fix the obesity epidemic, and I guarantee we won't see as many heart conditions, cholesterol problems, and diabetes.

[af]

After reading this, I did a Google search to see if multivitamins have ever been found to be harmful in addition to possibly not being helpful. I came across a Reader’s Digest article, where I read about daily vitamin use, including about how some uses of vitamins may actually be myths, like taking Vitamin C for a cold (as it seldom helps to reduce the severity or length of a cold). One physician is quoted saying that taking more than a dietary reference intake of vitamins is associated with problems. For example, too much Vitamin A is associated with osteoporosis. See Natural Standard's Facebook page to read more!

[tw]

I appreciate kn's comment pointing out that the study population was all US physicians. Clearly this is a group of people that would have little benefit from using multivitamins as treatment for heart disease in the first place, since they have knowledge of all the treatment options available to them. I agree that if this topic were to be studied more, it would be much more interesting to see the results in a more broad population of patients with heart disease. Though I'm not sure this would be necessary, as there are clearly more beneficial products than multivitamins available to prevent and treat heart disease.

[AF]

Since it was stated that diets containing chia seed may reduce risk factors for heart disease, I looked into this herb on Natural Standard’s website to learn more about it, as I have never heard of it. Its Latin name is Salvia hispanica, and the only registered variety of this herbaceous plant is known as Salba®, also mentioned above. Based on animal studies, it appears that chia is associated with lowering serum LDL and triglyceride levels and increasing HDL levels. The chia seed has a high omega-3 fatty acid content, and Salba® has been reported to have a more stable content than the darker generic seeds.

[ML]

I completely agree that healthy life choices are very important for a healthy heart. It is also important to remember that a lot of elderly people do not get the necessary nutrients through diet and should definitely take multivitamins. I just did a quick search on NS comparative effectiveness to see what other alternative therapies reduce risk of heart disease. Garlic and yoga have a NS scientific evidence grade of B.

[Jenna]

My grandfather suffered a heart attack a few months ago and the cause had been unknown to us. He is always adamant to leave the house and after many protests we were finally able to persuade him to visit Dr. Singh’s practice which was close to our home in Bloomfield Hills. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure which was the main cause of his attack. Thanks to Dr. Singh’s expert advice and treatment grandpa is fit and well, is keeping his blood pressure under control and has not had an attack since. Dr. Singh and her team were very friendly and pleasant that these days grandpa reminds us that he has to go for his monthly check ups ! Great service indeed! Give them a call today (248) 792-3690.

[zq]

I also didn't realize that people have been relying on multivitamins to lower their risk of heart disease. Clearly this is a disease state that needs to be managed through multiple means. I have seen benefits of omega-3 supplementation, as well as diet, exercise, and low dose aspirin supplementation. Perhaps adding a multivitamin to these other treatments may be beneficial, but it seems naive to believe that a multivitamin would solve all of your heart disease issues.

[kn]

Something this excerpt does not mention is that the study population was all US physicians. Most US physicians have enough income to afford adequate food for their bodies and it is likely they were already receiving most of the required daily vitamins and minerals through their diet. It is unlikely the participants were highly malnourished or nutrient-depleted. To me, this seems like a strange study to conduct and while we now know the results in retrospect, it seems like a waste to have conducted a study on this topic. Studying multivitamins in heart disease and cardiovascular-related events and death seems illogical to me. If we look at the main causes of these conditions, lack of vitamin supplementation does not appear to be the cause, rather unhealthy lifestyles in regard to exercise and diet, paired with some genetic role, seem to be primary factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease risk.

[ML]

I also did not know that there was a possible association with multivitamin use and reduction of heart disease risk. I do believe that older men should take a multivitamin because of the need for supplementation. I knew about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but I have never heard of chia seed. So, I did a quick search and apparently it is similar to the seeds for the Chia pet.

[ac]

I’ve actually never heard of multivitamins helping to reduce heart disease risk before reading this. It will be interesting to see what further studies will say about this. Nevertheless, it is still a good idea to take multivitamins as a supplement to supply your body with any nutrients it is lacking.

[nb]

It would be great if there is one miracle pill that could reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, as well as heart disease-related death. In addition to a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, incorporating a multivitamin into our daily lives is encouraged for health promotion. It is somewhat discouraging to see that studies showed no difference between the multivitamin and placebo in decreasing cardiovascular disease events/risks. Many people who have sound diets do not need extra multivitamin supplementation, but most Americans are not able to incorporate enough nutrients into their diets. Even with no change in cardiovascular risk, multivitamin supplementation should be encouraged for general health.

[J Squared]

I agree with the previous commenter that people should not just rely on multivitamins for heart healthy benefits. They should be used to supplement someone’s diet if necessary, but other forms of heart healthy habits need to be enforced such a healthy diet in high fruits and vegetables and moderate daily exercise for 30 to 60 minutes a day can do wonders for the heart.

[KJ]

I also never heard of multivitamins being the go-to for heart disease, omega 3's yes but not multivitamins. I know people take them for other reasons such as deficiency supplementation. I think this is a good article for the public to see that you can't eat a cheeseburger from a fast food chain then go home and pop a centrum and erase what you just ate. Your body tends to not absorb most of the vitamins that are packed into a multivitamin anyways so unless you are supplementing a diet, such as one low in calcium, than the effectiveness of taking one daily can be speculated.

[ks]

I never knew multivitamins were even being studied for their potential effects on lowering the risk of heart disease. I think this is a good article for people to read. Hopefully it will educate people that you can't just rely on pills for good health. Eating healthy and exercise are huge components in reducing heart disease risk as well as improving one's overall health.