Dietary Supplement

Young Danish men without any indication of infertility who regularly consumed fish oil supplements had better sperm quality and overall testicular function than their peers who used less or no fish oil supplements, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.

Use of antioxidant supplements during chemotherapy, as well as iron and vitamin B12, by patients with breast cancer may increase their risk for disease recurrence and death, according to results of a prospective study published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In 2019, Healio readers were interested in the role of vitamin D and prescription fish oil supplements for cardiovascular health as well as studies exploring other uses of vitamin D. Also, not all dietary supplements are beneficial — or harmful — for people with diabetes.

One in three older adults prescribed Eliquis has used an over-the-counter medication or dietary supplement that may cause a potentially serious interaction, according to researchers.

PHILADELPHIA — Interventions with vitamin D or omega-3 failed to reduce rates of first heart failure hospitalization in a large cohort of healthy adults, although researchers observed a benefit for recurrent HF hospitalization with fish oil supplementation, according to findings from an ancillary study of the VITAL trial presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

The FDA has updated its safety communication to remind the public, health care providers, lab personnel and lab test developers that biotin, or vitamin B7, can significantly interfere with certain diagnostic tests and cause incorrect results that may go undetected. The FDA remains concerned, in particular, with the potential for false results for troponin, which could result in missed diagnoses for MI.

A post hoc analysis of the Look AHEAD trial showed that intensive weight loss interventions can reduce CV events in some patients with type 2 diabetes, but they may also have a detrimental effect in others. Another recent study that found most patients who had bariatric surgery had at least one nutritional deficiency years later, even after taking supplements.

In a cohort of adults who underwent bariatric surgery, 73% had at least one nutritional deficiency 5 years later even though 73% reported taking a dietary supplement, according to findings published in Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care.

Data from a large meta-review published in World Psychiatry suggested that some nutritional supplements provided efficacious adjunctive treatment for specific mental disorders in certain conditions.

Dietary supplements, particularly multivitamins, can cause choking and dysphagia in older adults, according to findings published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.