Supplement Usage in the Promotion of Heart Health

Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States today. Although the gravity of this issue has raised awareness among the population over time, it is still mainly thought of as a condition of older adults. According to NMIs 2013 Healthy Aging Database^®, while 36 percent of the general public is very concerned with preventing heart problems (including heart disease, high cholesterol and hypertension), this number rises to 48 percent among the generation known as Matures (those born before 1946). For the foreseeable future, this demographic as well as late-stage Boomers will likely be the target market for supplements and fortified/functional foods and beverages that promote heart health.

How does the supplement industry factor into this health crisis? For one, there are more and more products being introduced that claim to support heart health and lower cholesterol. The emergence and mainstreaming of nutrients such as omega-3s is testament to the fact that consumers are receptive to using supplements for both treatment and prevention of heart-related issues. The problem, however, is bridging the gap between likelihood of usage and perceived efficacy of supplements for these conditions. 

For example, while 39 percent of Matures would be very likely to use supplements to treat and prevent high cholesterol, only 18 percent feel that the products currently available are very effective. Prescription medications for cholesterol, on the other hand, are used by more than 40 percent of Matures and more than one-third of Boomers. Whether it is doctors reluctance to recommend non-prescription formulations, a lack of information available to potential consumers as to the heart-healthy benefits of certain nutrients or something else entirely, the bottom line is that the potential market for supplements for the heart remains largeand will only grow larger as the population ages.