Link Between Vitamin Use And Diabetes Incidence Remains Uncertain

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Link Between Vitamin Use And Diabetes Incidence Remains Uncertain

American Journal of Epidemiology

05/11/2001

By Rose

A report from the United States suggests that more clarification is

necessary before any correlation between vitamin supplement use and the risk

of diabetes mellitus can be confirmed.

The study by Dr. Earl Ford followed previous research, which had indicated

an inverse association between vitamin intake and the risk for severe

chronic disease. However he noted that little information appears available

linking vitamin use and the risk for developing diabetes.

Dr. Ford from the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the

National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in

Atlanta, Georgia, designed a follow up study to examine the possibility that

vitamin supplement use was related to the incidence of diabetes in a cohort

of adults in the United States.

Participants included an analytical sample of 9.573 adults aged 25 to 74

years. During the 20-year follow-up study, 1.010 participants developed

diabetes mellitus. A smaller percentage of participants (21.4 percent) who

had incident diabetes reported vitamin use during the previous month at

baseline, by comparison with those who remained free of the disorder (33.5

percent).

Following multiple adjustment, the hazard ratios for participants using

vitamin supplements were 0.76 percent for all participants, 0.70 percent for

men and 0.84 percent for women.

According to Dr. Ford's research the association between vitamin use and

diabetes incidence was not modified by gender. " It remains unclear, " he

said, " whether specific vitamins or other factors closely correlated with

vitamin use account for this observation. "

American Journal of Epidemiology May 2001 Vol 153 No 9 pp 802-807.