Supplement use and mortality: the SENECA study.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Nutritional Epidemiology
• Public Health and Aging Research

Background:

• Investigating the hypothesis that supplement usage is a healthy lifestyle habit for older adults, potentially influencing longevity.
• Examining the association between supplement use and all-cause mortality in a cohort of elderly individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if supplement use is associated with all-cause mortality in participants of the SENECA study.
• To analyze mortality risks related to specific nutrient supplement consumption in older adults.

Main Methods:

• The SENECA study enrolled 75-80 year olds from 15 European towns in 1988/1989.
• Follow-up for all-cause mortality occurred until April 1999, including 920 men and 980 women free of major chronic diseases at baseline.
• Multivariate Cox regression models adjusted for various lifestyle and health factors were used to estimate hazard ratios for mortality associated with supplement use.

Main Results:

• At baseline, 13% of participants used nutritional supplements, and 19% were smokers.
• Among smokers, the use of any supplement, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2 was significantly associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HRs ranging from 1.52 to 1.60).
• Similar trends were observed for vitamin B6 and vitamin C supplement users who were smokers, indicating a potential increased mortality risk in this subgroup.

Conclusions:

• Supplement use was found to increase all-cause mortality risk among smokers in the SENECA study.
• The findings suggest that the interaction between smoking and supplement intake may pose a significant health risk for older adults.