Multivitamin prevents cardiovascular deaths

Posted on Tue, 16 Jan 18

A serendipitous discovery suggests that a high dose multivitamin and mineral may significantly reduce cardiovascular death in people at high risk. 

By chance, a research group found that a high-dose multivitamin and mineral product they were using had benefits independent of the treatment they were primarily investigating in heart disease patients (chelation therapy). 

An analysis of their data revealed that, in participants not on statin therapy at baseline, the high-dose multivitamins and mineral supplement resulted in a large reduction in cardiovascular events (mostly attributable to a reduction in cardiovascular deaths), when compared with placebo.

This discovery is important because the only other comparable study that has explored the effects of a multivitamin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease found no benefit [2]. However, this study used a much lower dose product (Centrum Silver) providing 100% of the RDA/ NRV, which is typically the minimum level of a nutrient needed to prevent a serious deficiency disease and may not be enough to prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease. 

Because these results were "unexpected" and "serendipitously" discovered, the study investigators suggest viewing these results skeptically until they replicate these finding in another study, which is currently underway. 

References: 

1. Issa OM, Roberts R, Mark DB, et al. Effect of high-dose oral multivitamins and minerals in participants not treated with statins in the randomized Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT). Am Heart J. 2018 Jan;195:70-77. 
2. Sesso, H.D., Christen, W.G., Bubes, V. et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012; 308: 1751–1760