Supplements reduce heart attack risk: large study

In a large study to be published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers looked at the multivitamin/mineral use of 34,000 female subjects aged 49-83 to gauge risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) over a ten year period.

Researchers looked at 31,671 women with no history of MI and 2262 women with a history of MI. The multivitamin/mineral intake was estimated to be close to the recommended daily allowances. Results were very encouraging:

• In the group with no history of CVD, women using multivitamins alone, as compared with no use of supplements, was associated with a 27% lower risk of MI.
• Women using multivitamins together with other supplements had a 30% lower risk of MI.
• The lower risk was stronger among women who used supplements for five years or more.
• While a much smaller sample size, in women with a history of CVD, there was no association between supplements and MI.

Steve - we need more large studies with long-term follow-ups like this one when looking at the preventive effects of dietary supplements.