Taking a multivitamin didn't cut the risk of cancer, cardiovascular problems or dying among post-menopausal women, according to a study released recently.
The study, considered the largest multivitamin study in post-menopausal women conducted to date, was published in the February 9, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Overall, it showed few differences in the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and dying from any cause between vitamin users and women who didn't take multivitamins.
Researchers analyzed data involving 161,808 women participating in the government-funded Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a clinical trial looking at the most common causes of death, disability and impaired quality of life in postmenopausal women. The WHI has looked at the effects of hormone-replacement therapy, diet and calcium, and now, multivitamins.
A total of 41.5% of women reported using multivitamins. The women were followed from beginnings in 1993 through 1998 to 2005, or an average of eight years for the group. In total, 9,619 cases of breast, colon, endometrial, renal, bladder, stomach, lung or ovarian cancer developed, while 8,751 cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke occurred. There were 9,865 deaths reported.
Women who took vitamins were more likely to be white, more physically active, more likely to use alchohol and less likely to smoke than nonvitamin users. There were few differences in disease outcomes between the vitamin and nonvitamin users, researchers said. They recommend that women focus on getting their nutrients from whole foods rather than vitamins.
"These results suggest that multivitamin use does not confer meaningful benefit or harm in relation to cancer or cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women," researchers wrote.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2009