nutrition

USPSTF Updates Recommendation on Supplements for CVD, Cancer

Jessica Ganga
07/05/2022

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has updated its recommendation for using vitamin E and β-carotene to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer (D recommendation).1

The task force concluded that there is insufficient evidence that using multivitamins or nutrient pairs reduces the risk of CVD, cancer, or mortality in the adult population. Its new recommendations replace and are consistent with its report published in 2014.2

“The USPSTF concludes with moderate certainty that the harms of beta carotene supplementation outweigh the benefits for the prevention of [CVD] or cancer,” the authors wrote. “The USPSTF also concludes with moderate certainty that there is no net benefit of supplementation with vitamin E for the prevention of [CVD] or cancer.”

Areas that need additional research include:

  • The impact of vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplementation on CVD and cancer outcomes following a sufficient study period duration.
  • The effects of vitamin D supplementation on cancer mortality.
  • If there is heterogeneity across diverse populations on the impact of vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplementation with a focus on persons with known deficiencies and low supplement use.

The task force cited various studies that reviewed the efficacy of different vitamin supplements and minerals that supported the need for more data and that, currently, the data is insufficient.

References:

  1. Mangione, CM, Barry MJ, Nicholson WK, et al; US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplementation to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2022;327(23):2326-2333. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.8970
  2. Moyer VA, LeFevre ML, Siu AL, et al; US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplements for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2014;160(8):558-564. doi: 10.7326/M14-0198