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Vitamin supplementation and mortality (Read 1139 times)


Queen of 3rd Place

    http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/18/1625

     

    A rather large study of older women (damn I'm jealous of people who have large data sets to play with!), a regression analysis of mortality and supplementation, particularly iron. Personally I find complex multivariate regression models to be a little suspect (let's describe the universe in one study!), but I'm only a casual statistician, at best, and in a former life. 

     

    Trent will say something about eating food, and he's right, however I still think there's evidence for benefits of supplementation in some cases (e.g., vitamin D for many of us). This study does highlight other problems.

    Ex runner

      Supplementing unless you know you have a deficiency is kind of weird anyhow...

      Julia1971


        I'm not a science or math type, but I wonder if vitamin takers tend to be sickly types in the first place therefore increasing the likelihood that they'd have a higher mortality rate.  And, it makes me wonder what the link would be.  Was there a disease they were more likely to get than the general population?

         

        I've just recently started taking a multi every day.  My thinking was I'm not sure if it helps, but it couldn't hurt.  Guess I might want to rethink that thinking.

        Trent


        Good Bad & The Monkey

          I wonder if vitamin takers tend to be sickly types in the first place therefore increasing the likelihood that they'd have a higher mortality rate.  And, it makes me wonder what the link would be.  Was there a disease they were more likely to get than the general population?

           

          This.

           

          Interesting study tho.


          Best Present Ever

            http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/18/1625

             

            A rather large study of older women (damn I'm jealous of people who have large data sets to play with!), a regression analysis of mortality and supplementation, particularly iron. Personally I find complex multivariate regression models to be a little suspect (let's describe the universe in one study!), but I'm only a casual statistician, at best, and in a former life. 

             

            Trent will say something about eating food, and he's right, however I still think there's evidence for benefits of supplementation in some cases (e.g., vitamin D for many of us). This study does highlight other problems.

             

            The institute of medicine recently issued a report saying there is insufficient evidence for much of the vitamin d supplementation currently being recommended.  And while there are problems with this multivitamin study, as reported, there are a number of randomized controlled trials of specific vitamins that have failed to show any benefits for supplementation, and have shown actual harms for some.  So, even though there are problems with epidemiological studies like this one, it is plausible that there is at least some causal relationship between  vitamin supplementation and mortality.  


            Feeling the growl again

              The institute of medicine recently issued a report saying there is insufficient evidence for much of the vitamin d supplementation currently being recommended.  And while there are problems with this multivitamin study, as reported, there are a number of randomized controlled trials of specific vitamins that have failed to show any benefits for supplementation, and have shown actual harms for some.  So, even though there are problems with epidemiological studies like this one, it is plausible that there is at least some causal relationship between  vitamin supplementation and mortality.  

               

               

              Certainly plausible.  However, unless the subjects were randomly assigned to vitamins or placebo (I'm assuming they weren't) the study is of limited utility.

              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

               

              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

               

              DoppleBock


                Speaking of Vitamin D - I am looking for a doctor to write me a RX to give to my insurance company and to where I work ... That I need to spend 3 day weekends between Nov 1st - Mar 31st in Las Vegas lounging by the pool.  It would be best if it include a RX for 4-5 margarittas per day and a hotel pool with lots of action - Looking a hot women is good for my heart.

                Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                 

                 

                  There are pros and cons to putting just about any chemical into the body. Articles/studies about supplementation have a tendency to report the benefits OR the not-benefits ("side effects"), but rarely the benefits AND the side effects. This leads to consumers buying one product for its reported benefits or avoiding a product because of its damage to the body.

                   

                  Iron could be more helpful or less helpful for you. The same is true of vitamin E, though in today's headlines you're mostly going to read (in badly worded statistics) why it might be bad for you.

                   

                  Dopple, those hot women might be good for your heart, but make sure you aren't at risk for a heart attack and that they don't have STDs. The pros and cons need to be weighed equally, which means reading more than one source and knowing a bit about yourself. That's all I'm trying to say.

                  LedLincoln


                  not bad for mile 25

                    Supplementing unless you know you have a deficiency is kind of weird anyhow...

                     

                    Yes, but who knows if they have a deficiency?  I don't think my blood has ever been checked for any vitamin.  Now, if my bathroom scale provided a vitamin readout in addition to weight, I could supplement much more intelligently.

                    LedLincoln


                    not bad for mile 25

                      Dopple, those hot women might be good for your heart, but make sure you aren't at risk for a heart attack and that they don't have STDs. The pros and cons need to be weighed equally, which means reading more than one source and knowing a bit about yourself. That's all I'm trying to say.

                       

                      Kind of like my then-3-year-old daughter telling us this candy is "good for me".  We realized that that phrase can mean two different things.

                        Yes, but who knows if they have a deficiency?  I don't think my blood has ever been checked for any vitamin.  Now, if my bathroom scale provided a vitamin readout in addition to weight, I could supplement much more intelligently.

                         

                        If you have no symptom that might be explained by a deficiency then you don't have a reason to supplement. If you do have a symptom that might be explained by a deficiency then you should get it checked out... because you may have misdiagnosed the cause of the symptom.

                        DoppleBock


                          STDs - I amnot going to touch them - Just oggle behind my sunglasses

                           

                          I run a lot, so my heart is strong enough for the excitement ... Wouldn't that be nice ... Run Redrocks every morning and sit by the pool in the afternoon.

                           

                          Dopple, those hot women might be good for your heart, but make sure you aren't at risk for a heart attack and that they don't have STDs. The pros and cons need to be weighed equally, which means reading more than one source and knowing a bit about yourself. That's all I'm trying to say.

                          Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                           

                           

                          DoppleBock


                            So ... If I do not get enough calcium and I wait for the symptom of brittle bones ... might be a bit late.

                             

                            One could take a different approach - A realistic audit of ones diet to see the deficient areas ... then either fill the deficiency with real food or take a suppliment

                            Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                             

                             

                              So ... If I do not get enough calcium and I wait for the symptom of brittle bones ... might be a bit late.

                               

                              One could take a different approach - A realistic audit of ones diet to see the deficient areas ... then either fill the deficiency with real food or take a suppliment

                               

                              You could - but as with many things too much can be harmful as too little (which is partly the point of the original post). I would say do your audit and then get a test (or improve your diet) before you start popping pills.


                              SMART Approach

                                I believe the RDA is set up to prevent deficiency disease plus a tad extra. Are these recommendations high enough for optimum health - immune strength, disease prevention etc. ??

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