Multivitamins and Diabetes Risk

BOSTONA large cohort study of U.S. older adults found multivitamin use was not associated with diabetes risk (Diabetes Care. Oct. 26, 2010). Researchers at Harvard University prospectively examined supplemental use of multivitamins and individual vitamins and minerals assessed in 1995 to 1996 in relation to self-reported diabetes diagnosed after 2000 among 232,007 participants in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Multivitamin use was assessed by food frequency questionnaire at baseline. In total, 14,130 diabetes cases diagnosed after year 2000 were included in the analysis.

According to researchers, frequent use of any multivitamins was not associated with risk of diabetes after adjustment for potential confounders and uses of individual supplements. Compared with nonusers of any multivitamins, the multivariate odd ratios (Ors) among users were 1.07  for taking less than one time/week, 0.97  for one to three times/week, 0.92 for four to six times/week, and 1.02 for less than or equal to seven times/week (P for trend=0.64). Significantly lower risk of diabetes was associated with the use of vitamin C or calcium supplements. The multivariate ORs comparing daily users with nonusers were 0.91 for vitamin C supplements and 0.85 for calcium supplements. Use of vitamin E or other individual vitamin and mineral supplements were not associated with diabetes risk. The findings of lower diabetes risk among frequent users of vitamin C or calcium supplements warrant further evaluations.