The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) responds to findings from the “Supplements, Placebo, or Rosuvastatin (SPORT)” Study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study compared the effectiveness of a prescription statin medication (rosuvastatin) against six common supplements (fish oil, cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, plant sterols, and red yeast rice) over a four-week period. CHPA Senior Vice President of Dietary Supplements, Duffy MacKay, released the following statement:
“Dietary supplements – which are regulated as foods – should never be confused with prescription medications, which are specifically intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent specific diseases. Consumers should also not expect supplements to act like prescription drugs, but rather as products that support overall health and wellness – such as heart health, joint health, or gut health. Yet, here is another scientific study comparing the strength of prescription drugs against dietary supplements. Additionally, given the short four-week treatment timeline investigated in this study, the expectation for dietary supplements to produce drug-like effects is unfounded, as non-pharmacological interventions typically require more time to see results.
“Each of the supplement ingredients included in this trial has previously been studied and shown to benefit overall heart health when used as part of a multipronged approach, which often includes the implementation of diet and lifestyle changes. If an individual is experiencing symptoms related to high cholesterol or heart disease, it’s important to work with a healthcare provider to develop a treatment plan, which may include supplement ingredients based on the person’s unique needs.
“CHPA supports more research for dietary supplements to add to the rapidly growing evidence base of the overall benefits of dietary supplementation and encourages consumers to use NIH as a resource to learn more about dietary supplement science.”
