A recent study found that older adults taking a daily multivitamin for three years reported significantly better functional health, including reductions in symptom burden and improvements in overall physical functioning, reports Medical News Today.
Multivitamin supplementation describes a daily vitamin and mineral supplement that can help fill nutritional gaps in the diet, especially for older people, because ageing can make it harder for the body to absorb or get enough nutrients from food.
However, there is limited evidence that multivitamins directly improve heart health or prevent cardiovascular disease in healthy older adults.
The COSMOS Trial was a large, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to test whether taking either a commercially available daily multivitamin (Centrum Silver), or a daily cocoa flavanol supplement could reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other age-related conditions in older adults.
It was led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital – an affiliate of Harvard Medical School – and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, and randomised 21 442 men and women across the United States.
Now, a secondary analysis of the COSMOS trial suggests that daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation modestly improved cardiovascular-related functional health in older adults over a three-year period.
The study, presented at Nutrition 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, found that adults aged 60 and older who took a daily multivitamin reported better functional health than those who received a placebo.
The improvements included measures of symptom burden and physical functioning, suggesting multivitamins may help preserve day-to-day independence as people age.
The researchers said that because the findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, they should be considered preliminary.
Better functional health
The study analysed data from more than 16 000 participants enrolled in the COcoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study (COSMOS), the large randomised clinical trial investigating the effects of daily multivitamins and cocoa extract supplements in older adults.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a daily multivitamin, a cocoa extract supplement, both supplements, or matching placebos.
After three years, researchers found that those taking a daily multivitamin had significantly better functional health scores than those taking a placebo, based on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, a validated tool that measures symptoms, physical limitations, and quality of life related to cardiovascular health.
Notably, the largest differences were seen in symptom burden and the clinical summary score, which combines measures of symptoms and physical function.
The benefits were primarily driven by reductions in symptom burden, including fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling, rather than improvements in physical ability alone.
The researchers state that the study focused on outcomes that matter directly to older adults, noting that maintaining functional health may help older adults continue everyday activities.
“Multivitamin-mineral supplementation may help preserve functional health in older adults with heart failure, particularly by reducing symptom burden such as fatigue, oedema, and shortness of breath,” Jennifer Wong, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Centre in Fountain Valley, California, told Medical News Today.
“While these findings are encouraging, additional research is needed to determine whether these benefits translate into improved long-term clinical outcomes,” added Wong, who was not involved in the study.
Could multivitamins support healthy ageing?
The observed benefits from the secondary analysis suggest that multivitamins could reflect improvements in several aspects of health, including cognitive function, blood circulation, and physical stamina.
However, the current study was not designed to determine the biological mechanisms responsible for the effects.
The study authors emphasise that multivitamins should complement, rather than replace, established healthy lifestyle habits, like healthy eating, regular physical activity, and social connection.
They said a daily multivitamin could offer a helpful, low-risk addition to a healthy lifestyle to support physical well-being as people age, but is not a substitute for a good dietary plan or exercise.
Could cocoa extract benefit heart health?
Unlike multivitamins, cocoa extract did not significantly improve functional health scores across the overall study population.
However, researchers observed a significant benefit among those living with congestive heart failure, suggesting this finding warrants further investigation.
“The finding that cocoa extract may help preserve symptom burden in people with heart failure is an encouraging signal,” Wong added. “But larger, well-designed clinical trials are needed to determine whether cocoa extract provides meaningful and reproducible clinical benefits before it can be recommended as part of routine care.”
What do the findings mean?
The findings add to a growing body of research examining whether multivitamin supplements may provide benefits beyond correcting nutrient deficiencies.
For example, previous analyses from the COSMOS trial suggest that daily multivitamin use may support aspects of cognitive health in older adults. However, other evidence remains mixed, and some studies have found little or no benefit.
Because the current research has not yet undergone peer review, it is too early to conclude whether daily multivitamin use directly improves functional health in all older adults. Future analyses will help clarify the strength of the findings and whether they apply to broader populations.
“There are several potential mechanisms,” Wong noted. “Certain vitamins and minerals may help regulate blood pressure, improve blood vessel function, reduce inflammation, support healthy cholesterol levels, and prevent nutritional deficiencies such as anaemia.
“Together, these effects may contribute to better cardiovascular health and improved energy levels, which could help preserve physical function. Improved vascular health may also support cognitive function, although this relationship requires further study,” she added.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Daily multivitamin turns back cognitive ageing clock – US study
Daily multivitamin may slow cognitive decline – randomised US study
Daily multivitamins linked to slower cognitive ageing — COSMOS-Mind study