title: No effect of multivitamin supplementation on central blood pressure in healthy older people: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Central blood pressure rises with age, which increases cardiovascular risk. There is some evidence that nutritional supplements may be useful to reduce central blood pressures in older people, but no studies have investigated the effects of multivitamin supplements for this purpose. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the effects of 16-weeks supplementation with gender-specific multivitamin and herbal supplements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were healthy individuals, free from heart disease, and included 160 females aged ≥ 50 and 79 males aged 50-65 years. Analyses of co-variance, correcting for baseline cardiovascular assessments, were used to determine the effects of supplementation on central cardiovascular measures including augmentation index, augmentation pressure and pulse pressure. Significance was set at p = 0.016.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No effects of multivitamin supplementation were observed in either males or females (respectively) for central augmentation index (p = 0.841; p = 0.296), central augmentation pressure (p = 0.794; p = 0.442), and central pulse pressure (p = 0.078; p = 0.304). Similarly, there was no treatment effect observed for brachial systolic, diastolic or pulse pressures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Four months multivitamin supplementation does not appear to exert any benefit to measures of central blood pressure in healthy older people.
authors.affiliation: Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Vic, 3000, Australia; Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Vic, 3122, Australia. Electronic address: elizabeth.harris@acu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Vic, 3122, Australia. Electronic address: rrowsell@swin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rowsell
authors.affiliation: Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Vic, 3122, Australia. Electronic address: apipingas@swin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pipingas
authors.affiliation: Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Vic, 3122, Australia; Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic, 3125, Australia. Electronic address: helen.macpherson@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Macpherson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000187:drug effects; D014739:Victoria; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D014815:Vitamins
keywords: Arterial stiffness; Augmentation index; Blood pressure; Multivitamin; Vitamins