Long Term Multivitamin Use May Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer in the United States. A recent study suggests that taking a daily multivitamin may protect men from cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke over a long period of time, but not in the short term.

Participants in the study included 18,530 men age 40 and older that took part in the Physicians’ Health Study I. The researchers collected lifestyle and clinical information — including intake of certain foods and supplements — at the beginning of the study. They followed up with the particiapnts on average for 12.2 years.

During the study period, 1,697 cases of major cardiovascular disease occurred. The researchers found no significant correlation between taking multivitamins and risk of cardiovascular disease when they examined the data as a whole. However, when they focused specifically on people who took multivitamins for at least 20 years, they found a 44% reduction in risk of a major cardiovascular event.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on April 27, 2016, in The Journal of Nutrition.

Previous studies have shown that multivitamins may aid in weight loss, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and boost general physical health. Other studies have also shown that the cells of people who routinely take multivitamins have a younger biological age.