Health
Daily multivitamins might not help you live longer, study finds: 'No differences in mortality'
Approximately one-third of U.S. adults report taking multivitamins, data shows — but a new study suggests that the daily practice won’t extend longevity.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) analyzed more than 20 years’ worth of data from 400,000 healthy U.S. adults, concluding that taking multivitamins did not reduce mortality risk.
“The analysis showed that people who took daily multivitamins did not have a lower risk of death from any cause than people who took no multivitamins,” the researchers wrote in a press release from NIH.
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“There were also no differences in mortality from cancer, heart disease or cerebrovascular diseases.”
Approximately one-third of U.S. adults report taking multivitamins, data shows. (iStock)
Those who took daily multivitamins were actually found to have a 4% higher mortality risk, according to the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday.
The average age of participants was 61-½, and 164, 762 deaths occurred during the follow-up period.
“People who use multivitamins may have healthier lifestyles in general, and sicker patients may be more likely to increase their use of multivitamins.”
Results were adjusted for factors including race, ethnicity, education and nutrition.
The study followed a 2022 analysis from the US Preventive Services Task Force, which concluded that there was “insufficient evidence” to determine whether multivitamin use improved mortality.
Those who took daily multivitamins were actually found to have a 4% higher mortality risk, according to the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday. (iStock)
By including larger numbers of participants and extending the follow-up for longer periods of time, the researchers aimed to account for potential biases that could have influenced the findings.
“For example, people who use multivitamins may have healthier lifestyles in general, and sicker patients may be more likely to increase their use of multivitamins,” they wrote in a press release from NIH.
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Pieter Cohen, associate professor of medicine at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, was not involved in the study but offered his feedback.
“This study provides further evidence that taking multivitamins, even for 20 years or more, won’t extend your life,” he told Fox News Digital.
“For healthy adults, there’s no reason to add on a multivitamin unless your doctor specifically recommends it.”
Doctor points out limitations
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert, was also not involved in the study but weighed in on the findings.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert with Senolytix, is a proponent of daily multivitamins. (Dr. Brett Osborn)
“Key aspects of the study include its observational nature, the absence of a control group, and the variability in multivitamin formulations used by participants,” he said in an email to Fox News Digital.
(The researchers also acknowledged these limitations in their discussion of the study results.)
“Most multivitamins contain a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, but the concentrations can vary widely across brands and formulations,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Observational studies like this one can suggest associations or correlations, but cannot prove causation due to the potential for confounding variables influencing both multivitamin use and mortality outcomes,” Osborn said.
While the researchers noted that they had adjusted for factors such as demographics, lifestyle behaviors and health status, Osborn said, “residual confounding remains a concern.”
The doctor also noted that lack of a control group makes it difficult to compare outcomes.
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“Without a control group, it’s challenging to separate the effects of multivitamins from those of other health behaviors or baseline health conditions that could influence mortality,” Osborn said.
The study also does not include controls for the specific formulation or dosage of multivitamins taken by participants, the doctor noted.
The study highlights the importance of “rigorous scientific inquiry” into the health benefits of multivitamins, a doctor said. (iStock)
“Most multivitamins contain a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, but the concentrations can vary widely across brands and formulations,” he said.
“Many commercially available multivitamins may not provide optimal levels of nutrients required for health benefits, potentially diluting any potential effects on longevity.”
In his practice, Osborn said, he recommends a multi-capsule daily multivitamin to his patients.
Vitamin usage is just one aspect of longevity, the doctor pointed out, along with genetics, lifestyle, socioeconomic status and access to health care, among other factors.
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“The multifactorial nature of longevity means that isolating the impact of multivitamins alone is complex and challenging, if not impossible,” Osborn said.
“There are just too many potentially confounding variables.”
The study highlights the importance of “rigorous scientific inquiry” into the health benefits of multivitamins, according to the doctor.
Vitamin usage is just one aspect of longevity, a doctor pointed out, along with genetics, lifestyle, socioeconomic status and access to health care. (iStock)
“In my opinion, multivitamins should be taken, as most Americans are malnourished — certainly not calorically, but in the context of vitamins and minerals.”
Looking ahead, the researchers emphasized the importance of measuring multivitamins’ impact on mortality in more diverse populations with different medical conditions and dietary habits.
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“It is important to evaluate multivitamin use and risk of death among different kinds of populations, such as those with documented nutritional deficiencies, as well as the potential impact of regular multivitamin use on other health conditions associated with aging,” they wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment, as well as the vitamin manufacturers PharmaVite (NatureMade), Nestlé Health Science (Garden of Life and Nature’s Bounty), and Life Extension.
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Cases of gout are rising in younger individuals, according to a global study.
The condition, which is a type of inflammatory arthritis, steadily increased in people aged 15 to 39 between 1990 and 2021, researchers in China announced.
Although rates vary widely between countries, the total number of young people with the condition is expected to continue rising through 2035.
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The study, published in the journal Joint Bone Spine, investigated 2021 data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), spanning 204 countries within the 30-year timeframe.
The data measured gout prevalence, incidence and years lived with disability, tracking global trends over time. The results showed a global increase across all three outcomes.
Gout is expected to continue rising in young people through 2035. (iStock)
Prevalence and disability years increased by 66%, and incidence rose by 62%. In 2021, 15- to 39-year-olds accounted for nearly 14% of new gout cases globally, the study found.
Men from 35 to 39 years old and people in high-income regions had the highest burden, but high-income North America topped the list for highest rates.
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Men were also found to have lived more years with gout due to high BMI, while women tended to have the condition as a link to kidney dysfunction, the study noted.
The total number of cases is expected to increase globally due to population growth, but the study projected that rates per population would decrease.
The researchers noted that data quality, especially in low-income settings, could have posed a limitation to the broad GBD data.
What is gout?
Gout is a common form of arthritis involving sudden and severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints, according to Mayo Clinic. It most often occurs in the big toe.
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The condition occurs when urate crystals accumulate in the joint. These form when there are high levels of uric acid in the blood, which the body produces when it breaks down a natural substance called purines.
A gout flare-up can happen at any time, often at night, causing the affected joint to feel hot, swollen, tender and sensitive to the touch.
Urate crystals, described as sharp and needle-like, build up in the joint, causing intense pain and swelling. (iStock)
Purines can also be found in certain foods, like red meat or organ meats like liver and some seafood, including anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout and tuna, according to the Mayo Clinic. Alcoholic drinks, especially beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar can also lead to higher uric acid levels.
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Uric acid will typically dissolve in the blood and pass through the kidneys into urine, but when the body produces too much or too little uric acid, it can cause a build-up of urate crystals. These are described by the Mayo Clinic as sharp and needle-like, causing pain, inflammation and swelling in the joint or surrounding tissue.
Risk factors for gout include a diet rich in high-purine foods and being overweight, which causes the body to produce more uric acid and the kidneys to have trouble eliminating it.
Experts urge patients to seek medical attention for gout flare-ups. (iStock)
Certain conditions like untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and heart and kidney diseases can increase the risk of gout, as well as certain medications.
A family history of gout can also increase risk. Men are more likely to develop the condition, as women tend to have lower uric acid levels, although symptoms generally develop after menopause.
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Untreated gout can cause worsening pain and joint damage, experts caution. It may also lead to more severe conditions, such as recurrent gout, advanced gout and kidney stones.
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The Mayo Clinic advises patients to seek immediate medical care if a fever occurs or if a joint becomes hot and inflamed, which is a sign of infection. Certain anti-inflammatory medications can help treat gout flares and complications.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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A new study suggests that annual mammograms may not be the only effective approach for preventing breast cancer.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), tested a risk-based breast cancer screening approach against standard annual mammography.
The WISDOM randomized clinical trial, led by study authors from universities and healthcare systems across the U.S., considered more than 28,000 women aged 40 to 74 years old, splitting them into a risk-based screening group and an annual mammography group.
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Researchers calculated each woman’s individual risk based on genetics (sequencing of nine breast cancer genes) and other health factors.
A new study suggests that annual mammograms may not be the only effective approach for preventing breast cancer. (iStock)
Those who were at the highest risk were advised to alternate between a mammogram and an MRI scan every six months. Patients with elevated risk were told to get an annual mammography and counseling.
Average-risk women were guided to get mammograms every two years, while low-risk individuals were advised to have no screening until they became higher risk or reached age 50.
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The researchers found that risk-based screening did not lead to more advanced cancer diagnoses (stage 2B or higher) compared with annual screening, indicating that it is just as safe as traditional methods. The risk-based approach, however, did not reduce the number of biopsies overall, as researchers had hoped.
Among the risk-based group of women, those with higher risk had more screening, biopsies and detected cancers. Women at lower risk had fewer procedures.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), tested a risk-based breast cancer screening approach against standard annual mammography. (iStock)
“[The] findings suggest that risk-based breast cancer screening is a safe alternative to annual screening for women aged 40 to 74 years,” the researchers noted in the research summary. “Screening intensity matched individual risk, potentially reducing unnecessary imaging.”
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Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier, associate professor of radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New Jersey, commented that while these findings are important, the study “completely sidelines” what screenings are designed to do — detect cancer early.
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“If you don’t measure stage 0, stage 1 or stage 2A cancers, you can’t tell whether personalized screening delays diagnosis in a way that matters for survival and treatment intensity,” Saphier, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Those who were at the highest risk were advised to alternate between a mammogram and an MRI scan every six months. (iStock)
More than 60% of breast cancers in the U.S. are diagnosed at stage 1 or 2A, where cure rates exceed 90%, the doctor noted.
The trial doesn’t “fully evaluate” whether risk-based screening changes detection at the earliest and most treatable stages, where screening “delivers its greatest benefit,” according to Saphier.
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“Mammography is not without risk — radiation exposure, false positives, anxiety and potential over-diagnosis are real and should be acknowledged,” she said. “But it remains the most effective, evidence-based tool for detecting breast cancer early, when treatment is most successful.”
The expert added that labeling women under 50 as “low risk” is “outdated,” as breast cancer diagnoses are on the rise in younger females.
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“Until long-term mortality data support alternative approaches, annual screening beginning at 40 for average risk women should continue,” Saphier added. “Women should be assessed for breast cancer risk by 25 years old to determine if screening should begin earlier.”
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