Learning Objectives

After completing this continuing education activity you will be able to:

1. Describe the findings of a large new randomized trial suggesting that a daily multivitamin may help to prevent cancer.
2. Identify patient populations most likely to benefit from multivitamin supplementation.
3. Discuss limitations and concerns about the evidence supporting multivitamin supplementation.
4. Explain that high-dose multivitamins had no beneficial effects, and showed potential to cause harm, in HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.
5. Evaluate evidence from a new trial suggesting that a high-antioxidant, fruit- and vegetable-rich diet may reduce asthma symptoms.
6. Identify the range of serum selenium levels associated with reduced prostate cancer risk.
7. Discuss selenium-related genetic and environmental factors that may influence prostate cancer risk.
8. Analyze new evidence suggesting that vitamin C supplementation has a modest antihypertensive effect.
9. Recognize limitations and confounding factors that prevent any strong conclusions regarding the role of vitamin C in the management of hypertension.
10. Describe genetic factors that may modulate risk from vitamin D insufficiency.
11. Compare the effects on serum 25(OH)D of supplements composed of vitamin D2 vs. vitamin D3.