Multivitamins fail to show benefit in large study of older women

In a large study of older women, taking multivitamins did not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer—nor did it appear to prolong life.

Marian L. Neuhouser, Ph.D from Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Division of Public Health Sciences was the lead author of the paper, which appears on the February 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study enrolled more than 160,000 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 who were followed for eight years.

Just over 41% of the women in the study used multivitamins.

Most took multivitamins with minerals. Those who took multivitamins were also more likely to take supplements of vitamin C, vitamin E, and calcium. 

Multivitamin users were also more likely to be white, thinner, more physically active, and better educated and to eat more fruits and vegetables than were women who did not take multivitamins.

Nonetheless, at the end of the study, women taking multivitamins were no less likely to develop such common cancers as cancer of the breast, colon or lung than were women who did not take multivitamins. 

Nor were they less likely to have a heart attack, stroke or develop a blood clot.

Nor were women taking multivitamins likely to live longer than women who did not take multivitamins.

At the same time, however, there was no evidence that the multivitamins harmed women taking them.

The results, the researchers write, “provide convincing evidence that multivitamin use has little or no influence on the risk of cancer or CVD (Cardiovascular Disease) in postmenopausal women.”

Future efforts to prevent chronic diseases, like cancer and heart disease, should focus on nutrition and not multivitamins, the researchers write.

The study was conducted as part of the Women’s Health Initiative and was funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

To learn more:

• Read the article in the February issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
• Visit the Women’s Health Initiative’s Web site.
• Visit the National Library of Medicine’s Drug, Supplements & Herbal Information page, where you can look up information about individual drugs, supplements and herbal products from an alphabetical listing.

Tags: Cancer, Heart Disease, Menopause, Multivitamins, Nutrition, Prevention, Supplements, Vitamins, Women

Category: Cancer, Heart & Circulation, Prevention, Senior Health, Women's Health