Skip to contents
In This Issue:
JoAnn E. Manson
Do vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids really play a role in preventing cancer, heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases and health conditions?
BWH researchers aim to find out by enrolling 20,000 participants throughout the country in a five-year clinical trial—the world’s largest study yet of these supplements.
“Vitamin D and omega-3s are two of the most promising nutrients we know of for the prevention of cancer, heart disease, stroke and many other chronic diseases, but we need large-scale randomized trials to clarify the benefits and risks,” said JoAnn E. Manson, MD, chief of Preventive Medicine and principal investigator of the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL).
Additional studies will examine whether these supplements play a role in preventing health conditions besides cancer, heart disease and stroke.
“The trial will be a rich resource for answering questions about the effects of vitamin D and fish oil on myriad health conditions from cognitive function to diabetes to bone fractures,” said Julie Buring, ScD, an epidemiologist in Preventive Medicine and a co-investigator of the VITAL study.
Participants in this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will include women older than 65 and men older than 60 without a history of cancer, heart disease or stroke. Each will be randomly assigned to take one or both of the supplements or placebo.
Researchers also are excited about the possibility of reducing many of the health disparities seen by race and ethnicity. For example, African-Americans have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency and a greater frequency of diabetes, hypertension and certain types of cancer.
“We are excited about the potential of vitamin D to reduce this health gap, but it is important to first get answers from clinical trials before recommending mega-doses of this supplement,” Manson said.
Manson and Buring say that although there is great potential for vitamin D and omega-3s to reduce chronic diseases, it is important to be cautious.
“Many people had high hopes for vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid, selenium and other supplements as preventive tools for many diseases, but large-scale trials didn’t confirm the hoped-for benefits and even found some risks when consumed at higher levels,” Manson said. “Let’s not jump on the bandwagon to take mega-doses of these supplements before clinical trials help to clarify their role.”
The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health through the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and other institutes and agencies.
For information on enrolling as a participant, visit www.vitalstudy.org or call 1-800-388-3963.