Preventive care for patients with chronic illness. Multivitamin use in patients with cystic fibrosis

Routine supplementation with multivitamins is recommended for all patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The purpose of this study was to investigate how well patients at a large CF clinic follow recommendations for taking multivitamins and what factors affect use. A questionnaire was developed and sent to the 150 patients actively followed at our center. Of the 80 patients who returned the survey, only 47% followed clinic recommendations. Of those patients not taking extra supplements, serum vitamin A and E levels varied widely, although most were within the normal range (vitamin A 11-87 micrograms/dL, tocopherol 0.4-2.3 mg/dL, tocopherol/cholesterol 3.0-9.6 mg/g). Only 25% of respondents had known insurance coverage for vitamins. Gender or educational level did not affect adherence; however, those with minimal pulmonary disease (forced vital capacity [FVC] greater than 70% of predicted) were more likely to take vitamins than those with moderate or severe disease (P < .05). In addition to malabsorption, poor adherence should be considered by both CF specialists and primary-care providers as a cause of low serum vitamin A and E levels, especially in patients with moderate to severe lung disease.