Abstract P519: Multivitamin Use And Arterial Stiffness In Older Women And Men
Introduction: A multivitamin (MV) is the most commonly taken supplement in older U.S. adults. Arterial stiffness is an important intermediate marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few studies have examined the association of MV use and arterial stiffness. Hypothesis: Regular multivitamin use is associated with lower levels of arterial stiffness. Methods: A subcohort of participants enrolled in the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), a large scale randomized clinical trial testing a MV and a cocoa extract supplement on CVD and cancer, completed baseline measurement of arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AI), and central blood pressure (CBP). Frequency and duration of MV use was assessed via self-report questionnaire at baseline. The cross-sectional association of MV use and arterial stiffness was evaluated by multivariate linear regression with adjustment for conventional CVD risk factors. We also performed subgroup analyses to evaluate effect modification between MV use and sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and hypertension. Results: A total of 470 (229 women and 241 men) COSMOS participants were included in this study, with mean age 69.1±5.2 years, of whom 150 (32%) reported current MV use at baseline. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that current MV use (yes versus no) was significantly associated with lower PWV (β:-0.59±1.02, p=0.004) but not associated with other measures of arterial stiffness, including AI or CBP. There were also no consistent associations between frequency and duration of MV use with any of the measures of arterial stiffness. Also, there was no effect modification by sex, age, BMI, or hypertension on the association between MV use and arterial stiffness. Conclusions: MV use was associated with lower PWV in older subjects. Further results from the COSMOS trial on randomized MV supplementation and changes in arterial stiffness over 2 years will further elucidate the effects of MV on arterial stiffness.