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Study finds many orthopedists, other physicians use and recommend supplements

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A recently published study shows that personal usage and recommendation of dietary supplements to patients is common among physicians within certain medical specialties, including orthopedics, according to a Council for Responsible Nutrition press release.

The study, published in Nutrition Journal, found that 73% of orthopedic specialists involved in the study use dietary supplements and 91% recommend them to their patients. The study also showed that 75% of dermatologists personally use dietary supplements and 66% recommend them to their patients. Among cardiologists surveyed, 57% use supplements and 72% recommend supplements to patients, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) press release.

“Health professionals, including physicians, have an interest in healthy lifestyles and in habits that may contribute to wellness, which may include the use of dietary supplements,” Annette Dickinson, PhD, a consultant to and former president of CRN, and study colleagues stated in the release. “Some surveys of physicians suggest that they are as likely as members of the general public to use dietary supplements.”

The most commonly reported product taken by physicians was a multivitamin, according to the release. More than 25% of physicians in each of the three surveyed specialties reported using omega-3/fish oil supplements, and more than 20% of physicians in each group said they had taken a botanical supplement in the past year.

Most of the physicians surveyed who reported themselves as supplement users noted that they used supplements long-term. About half the users in each specialty reported taking supplements for 4 years to 10 years, with about one-third noting that they have taken them for more than 10 years. The main reason they cited for taking the supplements was overall health and wellness, according to the release.

The study revealed that the top reasons for physicians to recommend supplements to patients were related to the physicians’ specialties. For example, orthopedists cited bone and joint health, and musculoskeletal pain for recommending supplements.

Reference:

• Dickinson A, et al. Nutrition Journal. 2011;10:20. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-10-20.

Disclosure: The Council for Responsible Nutrition funded the survey. Dickinson’s consulting services related to the preparation and submission of the manuscript.

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