When: May 15–17, 2006
Where: Nationwide
Institute: Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR)

More than one-third of American adults are estimated to be taking multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements regularly. Recommendations on supplement use vary widely, as does the strength of the evidence supporting such guidelines. As more and more Americans seek strategies for maintaining good health and preventing disease, and as the marketplace offers an increasing number of products to fill that desire, consumers should have the best possible information to inform their choices.

The ODS and OMAR will convene a State-of-the-Science Conference on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention. The goals of the conference are to assess the evidence available on MVM use and outcomes for chronic disease prevention in adults and to make recommendations for future research. Specifically, the conference will explore the following key questions:

• What are the current patterns and prevalence of the public’s use of MVM supplements?
• What is known about the dietary nutrient intake of MVM users versus non-users?
• What is the efficacy of single vitamin/mineral supplement use in chronic disease prevention?
• What is the efficacy of MVM in chronic disease prevention in the general population of adults?
• What is known about the safety of MVM for the generally healthy population?
• What are the major knowledge gaps and research opportunities regarding MVM use?


An independent panel will review the literature before the conference. Presentations by expert researchers and practitioners and open public discussions will occupy the first day and a half of the conference. On Wednesday, May 17, the panel will state its collective assessment of the evidence to answer each of the questions above. The panel will also hold a press conference to answer questions from the media. The draft statement will be published online later that day, and the final version will be released approximately six weeks later.

Next Steps
Visit the conference Web site at http://consensus.nih.gov/2006/2006MultivitaminMineralSOS028html.htm to view the agenda and other important details.

Attendance is free, but advance registration is recommended. You can register online at www.meetinglink.org/omar/vitamin/registration.htm.

You can also call toll-free 1-888-644-2667 or send an e-mail to multivitamins@air.org for more information.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch the proceedings live via the Internet at http://videocast.nih.gov, or go to www.meetinglink.org/OMAR_new/vitamin/registration_so1.htm to pre-order a final statement.

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