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. 2010 Apr 21;91(6):1791–1800. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28639

TABLE 4.

Mortality rates and hazard ratios (HRs) of total mortality in relation to use of nonvitamin-nonmineral supplements during the 10 y before baseline, western Washington, 2000–20061

Subjects (n = 77,673)
 Person-years (n = 387,801)3
 Deaths (n = 3577)
 No. of deaths/1000 person-years Sex- and age-adjusted
 Multivariate-adjusted4
10-y Average supplement use2 n Percentage n Percentage n Percentage HR 95% CI HR 95% CI
Fiber5
 None 65,919 85 329,435 85 2925 82 8.88 1.00 Reference 1.00 Reference
 Low 6619 9 32,883 9 360 10 10.95 1.14 1.02, 1.27 0.90 0.80, 1.00
 High 3480 5 17,260 5 200 6 11.59 1.06 0.92, 1.22 0.97 0.84, 1.13
 Missing 1655 2 8223 2 92 3 11.19
 P for trend 0.078 0.172
Glucosamine6
 None 61,769 80 308,451 80 3021 84 9.79 1.00 Reference 1.007 Reference
 Low 10,023 13 50,348 13 342 10 6.79 0.69 0.62, 0.78 0.927 0.82, 1.04
 High 5606 7 27,650 7 191 5 6.91 0.63 0.54, 0.72 0.837 0.72, 0.97
 Missing 275 0 1353 0 23 1 17.01
 P for trend NA8 0.009
Chondroitin6
 None 66,976 86 334,521 86 3214 90 9.61 1.00 Reference 1.007 Reference
 Low 6793 9 34,054 9 223 6 6.55 0.67 0.58, 0.76 0.887 0.77, 1.02
 High 3686 5 18,141 5 126 4 6.95 0.63 0.53, 0.75 0.837 0.69, 1.00
 Missing 218 0 1085 0 14 0 12.90
 P for trend NA8 0.011
Saw palmetto (men only)6
 None 33,187 89 164,816 89 1881 53 11.41 1.00 Reference 1.009 Reference
 Low 2166 6 10,872 6 87 2 8.00 0.67 0.54, 0.83 0.879 0.70, 1.09
 High 1936 5 9578 5 86 2 8.98 0.63 0.51, 0.78 0.939 0.74, 1.16
 Missing 76 0 367 0 9 0 24.55
 P for trend 0.140 0.280
6
 None 66,825 86 333,356 86 3192 89 9.58 1.00 Reference 1.00 Reference
 Low 6854 9 34,594 9 223 6 6.45 0.77 0.67, 0.88 0.84 0.73, 0.97
 High 3691 5 18,352 5 139 4 7.57 0.78 0.65, 0.92 0.96 0.81, 1.15
 Missing 303 0 1499 0 23 1 15.34
 P for trend <0.001 0.102
Garlic6
 None 68,273 88 340,755 88 3139 88 9.21 1.00 Reference 1.00 Reference
 Low 4899 6 24,527 6 221 6 9.01 1.03 0.90, 1.18 1.02 0.88, 1.17
 High 4188 5 20,932 5 194 5 9.27 0.86 0.74, 1.00 0.89 0.76, 1.03
 Missing 313 0 1558 0 23 1 14.77
 P for trend 0.097 0.177
Fish oil6
 None 69,857 90 348,950 90 3247 91 9.31 1.00 Reference 1.00 Reference
 Low 4234 5 21,091 5 172 5 8.16 0.97 0.84, 1.14 1.03 0.88, 1.21
 High 3331 4 16,505 4 139 4 8.42 0.84 0.71, 1.00 0.83 0.70, 1.00
 Missing 251 0 1256 0 19 1 15.13
 P for trend 0.051 0.097
1

NA, not applicable.

2

From single supplements (and mixtures other than multivitamins) plus multivitamins.

3

Because of rounding, the numbers of person-years across strata of a variable do not always sum to 387,801.

4

Cox regression analysis adjusted for the following variables: sex, age, education, recency of smoking/dose of smoking, physical activity in the 10 y before baseline, self-rated health, and morbidity score.

5

The low-use category included those with a 10-y average frequency of use of <3 d/wk; the high use category includes those with a 10-y average frequency of use of ≥3 d/wk.

6

The low-use category included those with a duration of use of <3 y or a frequency of use <4 d/wk; the high-use category that included those with a duration of use ≥3 y and a frequency of use during that time of ≥4 d/wk.

7

Additionally adjusted for a composite variable that categorized participants as having either nonrheumatoid arthritis or chronic neck, back, or joint pain or as having neither condition.

8

NA because the test for nonlinearity in the log-hazard ratio was significant at α = 0.05.

9

Additionally adjusted for a previous diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia.