As a group, vitamins and supplements have been largely disappointing in clinical trials. For example, multivitamins do not appear to promote general health, echinacea does not effectively improve the common cold, and vitamin E in not effective at preventing prostate cancer or slowing dementia.¹ In addition, many supplements have been shown to have adverse effects, including ephedra linked to myocardial infarctions, seizures, strokes, and sudden deaths and beta-carotene supplements linked to an increase in the risk of lung cancer among smokers.^2,3 Despite this lack of benefit and the potential for risk, there remains something about supplements that captures the public's imagination. Perhaps it is the allure of a natural remedy with little perceived risk. Whatever the reason, this study reaffirms that many of our patients take supplements and, while which supplements they use might have changed over the years, the fact that they take supplements has not changed. —Neil Skolnik, MD

1. Turner RB, Bauer R, Woelkart K, Hulsey TC, Gangemi JD. An evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in experimental rhinovirus infections. N Engl J Med. 2005;353(4):341-348.
2. Lippman SM, Klein EA, Goodman PJ, et al. Effect of selenium and vitamin E on risk of prostate cancer and other cancers. JAMA. 2009;301(1):39-51.
3. Tanvetyanon T, Bepler G. Beta-carotene in multivitamins and the possible risk of lung cancer among smokers versus former smokers. Cancer. 2008;113(1):150-157.