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Effect of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements on Cardiovascular Health
Sogand Goudarzi1, Sahar Memar Montazerin, Homa Najafi
1From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Insights
While multivitamins are popular, their cardiovascular benefits are unclear. Some supplements like carnitine may offer protection, warranting further research for heart health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nutritional Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the US.
- Pharmacological treatments are well-studied, but evidence for vitamin and mineral benefits is limited.
- Multivitamins are widely used despite lacking clear cardiovascular preventative benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current data on the cardiovascular effects of vitamins and dietary supplements.
- To assess the evidence for multivitamins and other supplements in cardiovascular prevention.
- To explore potential roles in secondary prevention and with other therapies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of preclinical, observational, and clinical studies.
- Analysis of data on multivitamins, carnitine, arginine, and coenzyme Q10.
- Synthesis of evidence regarding primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention.
Main Results:
- Evidence for multivitamins in primary or secondary cardiovascular prevention remains elusive.
- Preliminary data suggest potential cardiovascular protection from supplements like carnitine, arginine, and coenzyme Q10.
- Emerging research indicates a possible role for multivitamins in secondary prevention alongside chelation therapy.
Conclusions:
- The cardiovascular benefits of commonly used vitamins and supplements require further rigorous investigation.
- Specific supplements may hold promise for cardiovascular health, particularly in secondary prevention.
- More research is needed to clarify the role of dietary supplements in managing cardiovascular disease.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease marks the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Pharmacological therapies have been developed to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the setting of large-scale randomized controlled trials. In contrast, vitamins and minerals have not undergone an equal level of scrutiny, and the evidence of cardiovascular benefit remains elusive. Multivitamins are the most popular over-the-counter supplements in the United States, despite the lack of clear benefit as a means of primary or secondary cardiovascular prevention. Recent studies indicate a potential role of multivitamins in secondary prevention when concomitantly administered with chelation therapy. Additionally, preclinical and observational studies have shown preliminary evidence of cardiovascular protection with dietary supplements such as carnitine, arginine, and coenzyme Q10. This review summarizes the currently available data about the effect of vitamins and other dietary supplements on the cardiovascular system.
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