Pills millions of us take every day 'increase risk of heart attack and early death'

According to research, vitamin and mineral supplements consumed by millions could potentially cause more harm than good, increasing the risk of heart disease and premature death. In the UK, 46% of people take vitamins and minerals daily, fuelling an industry worth over £500 million annually.

However, US scientists suggest that most are a waste of money, providing no protection against illness. For example, combining a calcium pill with vitamin D increased the likelihood of a stroke rather than reducing it.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, analysed 277 previous randomised trials involving nearly one million participants. It examined the effects of 16 different nutritional supplements and eight dietary interventions on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in adult participants.

Dr Safi Khan, the lead author from the University of West Virginia in the US, stated: "We found out only a few of the 16 nutritional supplements and one of the eight dietary interventions evaluated had some protective effect in cardiovascular risk reduction. In our study the fish oil supplementation we found to be protective against heart attacks and folic acid supplementation was found to be protective against strokes."

However, he added that some were associated with significant harms. Dr Khan said: "A combination of calcium and vitamin D was associated with a higher risk of stroke.", reports Surrey Live.

He further added: "Other supplements did not seem to have significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular outcomes."

The recent analysis has highlighted that most supplements and some dietary measures may have less impact on heart health than previously thought. Dr Khan explained: "We examined Mediterranean diet, reduced dietary fat, modified dietary fat and reduced saturated fat intake. We found none of these dietary modifications had any effect on cardiovascular risk."

In terms of what actually helps, the only two dietary interventions that showed substantial benefits were for specific groups; reduced salt intake helped to protect against mortality in those with normal blood pressure, while omega-3 fats, typically found in fish, were beneficial against heart attacks and coronary heart disease.

Despite various diets being promoted, such as the Mediterranean and vegetarian diets, in current US dietary guidelines, they do not endorse routine supplement use for reducing cardiovascular disease or other chronic conditions. With the efficacy of nutritional supplements and dietary changes unclear in preventing death and heart issues, Dr Eric Topol of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who assessed the review for the journal, pointed out limitations due to the evidence quality.

He suggested, "For example, geographic considerations among the studies need to be considered."

"The reported benefit of folate seems to be largely driven by the inclusion of one study from China, where a folate-rich diet is not routine. In addition, most studies rely on food diaries, which are based on a person's memory of what they consumed and therefore are not wholly reliable."