RESUMO
The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of supplements was associated with all-cause mortality among older people. The study included 643 people aged 75-80 (305 men and 338 women) from Warsaw and Olsztyn regions. The basic information about respondents and about vitamin and/or mineral supplement intake were collected in 1999, while data about deaths from all-causes were collected in Warsaw region till the end of December 2003 and in Olsztyn region till to end of August 2004. The Cox Proportional Hazard Regression Models were used to assess the all-cause mortality risk among supplements users and nonusers. The risk of all-cause mortality was 113% (95%CI: 15 - 294%) higher among men who used vitamin A supplements compared to those who not used this nutrient as supplements, for vitamin E the risk was 89% (95%CI: 3 - 248%) higher, for vitamin B1 - 102% (95%CI: 9 - 271%), vitamin B2 - 99% (95%CI: 8 - 268%), vitamin PP - 103% (95%CI: 12 - 268%), vitamin B6 - 103% (95%CI: 10 - 273%), iron - 105% (95%CI: 2 - 308%) and for zinc -160% (95%CI: 30 - 414%) higher. Among smoking men who used vitamin B6, PP, iron and zinc supplements compared to those who were smokers and not used these supplements there were a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality i.e. 118% (95%CI: 7 - 344%) and 106% (95%CI: 2 - 317%), 150% (95%CI: 14 - 448%) and 164% (95%CI: 122 - 472%), respectively. No such relationships were observed in older women. Further investigations are needed to explain the associations between supplement use and smoking in relation to mortality risk.
