Meta-analysiscited by the Tayebat archiveabstract only checked A-SUP-29 standard review
Vitamins and heart disease – overview
Supplemental Vitamins and Minerals for CVD Prevention and Treatment.
Overview
Jenkins DJA et al.. J Am Coll Cardiol 2018 · PMID 29852980 · DOI 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.04.020
Mostly no effect; folic acid may reduce stroke; antioxidant mixtures may increase mortality.
Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: moderate
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
CVD prevention.
- How was the study done?
Meta-analyses.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
Many RCTs.
- What was actually found?
Mostly null.
- How large was the observed effect?
not in abstract
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Selective use.
- What are the study's limitations?
Abstract only.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Mixed.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Applicable.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Jenkins DJA, Spence JD, Giovannucci EL, Kim YI, Josse R, Vieth R, Blanco Mejia S, Viguiliouk E, Nishi S, Sahye-Pudaruth S, Paquette M, Patel D, Mitchell S, Kavanagh M, Tsirakis T, Bachiri L, Maran A, Umatheva N, McKay T, Trinidad G, Bernstein D, Chowdhury A, Correa-Betanzo J, Del Principe G, Hajizadeh A, Jayaraman R, Jenkins A, Jenkins W, Kalaichandran R, Kirupaharan G, Manisekaran P, Qutta T, Shahid R, Silver A, Villegas C, White J, Kendall CWC, Pichika SC, Sievenpiper JL
- Journal
- J Am Coll Cardiol
- Year
- 2018
- Identifier
- PMID 29852980 DOI 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.04.020
- Verification
- verified – PubMed E-utilities efetch, 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
not stated in abstract; grants: CIHR
2. Research question
Supplemental vitamins and minerals for CVD prevention and treatment
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Meta-analysis – Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs
- Population
RCT participants
- Country
Multinational
- Period
2012 onward
- Sample size
not stated in abstract
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
see abstract
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Various supplements
- Comparator
Placebo/control
- Endpoints
CVD outcomes; all-cause mortality
- Statistical methods
Meta-analyses
5. Actual results
- Results
Moderate/low-quality evidence of benefit for folic acid (total CVD) and folic acid/B vitamins (stroke); no effect for multivitamins, vitamins C, D, beta-carotene, calcium, selenium; increased risk for antioxidant mixtures and niacin with statin (all-cause mortality).
- Absolute risks
not reported in abstract
- Authors' conclusion
No conclusive benefit across all dietary backgrounds; benefits must be balanced against risks.
6. Strengths
- Broad synthesis
7. Weaknesses
- Abstract lacks numbers
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- AMSTAR 2
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- some concerns
- Rationale
Abstract-level.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
See results.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
11. Independent contrary findings
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
High: biology and trial populations comparable to European adults.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Mixed findings.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | moderate |
| Risk of bias | some concerns |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | partly replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | mixed |
| Regional transferability | high |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | taken out of context |
14. Open questions
15. Linked fact checks
- When popular oral supplements (calcium, beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3, multivitamins, glucosamine, selenium, vitamin A) were tested in large long-term placebo-controlled trials, most failed to deliver the promised prevention of disease. – Studies supporting the claim
- Calcium supplements without vitamin D raise the risk of myocardial infarction by about 31%, and adding vitamin D does not remove this harm. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim
Use by the Tayebat archive
Note: according to the archive, the studies were compiled by the archive operators. Whether Dr. Elawady himself cited this study is not established.
- What the archive says about the study
Listed in the archive bibliography of the oral-supplements rule without its own interpretation; used implicitly to support the rule summary that supplements 'failed or caused harm' in large trials.
- A. What was actually studied?
Supplemental vitamins and minerals for CVD prevention and treatment
- B. What did the authors find?
Moderate/low-quality evidence of benefit for folic acid (total CVD) and folic acid/B vitamins (stroke); no effect for multivitamins, vitamins C, D, beta-carotene, calcium, selenium; increased risk for antioxidant mixtures and niacin with statin (all-cause mortality).
- C. What conclusions do the authors themselves draw?
No conclusive benefit across all dietary backgrounds; benefits must be balanced against risks.
- D. What does the archive derive from it?
Cited for 'supplements failed'.
- E. Is this derivation scientifically justified?
Partly: also reports benefits of folic acid for stroke/CVD and no effect for calcium – both omitted and conflicting with the archive's claims.
- Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)
- taken out of context