42 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Many report taking supplements in attempt to prevent
cold, flu but 39 percent of those still avoid flu shot
Almost half of metro area
New Yorkers surveyed in
a new poll report taking
unregulated dietary supplements
such as vitamins, essential oils and
probiotics -- some in attempt to ward
off colds and the flu -- but 39 percent
of those who take supplements for
that purpose have not had a flu shot,
according to South Nassau’s latest
Truth in Medicine Poll.
The flu shot is considered the single
best preventive method against
the flu, a sometimes deadly disease.
“Benefit from cold supplements have
never been truly proven to help boost
your immunity against colds, whereas
flu vaccine is proven to prevent the
flu,” said Dr. Aaron Glatt, South Nassau’s
Department of Medicine chair
and hospital epidemiologist, who
also is a spokesman for the Infectious
Disease Society of America.
Other key findings from the poll
include:
*Some 44 percent of respondents
who take supplements reported
spending more than $25 per month
on these supplements
*More than 70 percent of those who
take supplements to fight cold and flu
act on their own – often on the recommendation
from a friend or family
member, rather than a doctor.
*Nearly a third do not inform their
doctors about their supplement use.
*Some 15 percent said that advertising
prompted them to take a
supplement to ward off colds and flu.
The South Nassau Truth in Medicine
Poll, sponsored by Bethpage Federal
Credit Union, is a quarterly survey
of 600 Long Island and New York City
residents that aims to gather data
about public attitudes on key public
health topics and help spur public
education to improve public health.
The South Nassau Truth in Medicine
poll this month focused on the
multi-billion-dollar supplements
industry, a largely unregulated and
sometimes consumer-confounding
marketplace.
A majority (54 percent) of those who
take an anti-cold or flu supplement
do so daily, while 25 percent take it
only when needed. Those who take
something to prevent colds and flu are
fairly confident that it works, with 39
percent saying the supplements are
very effective and 53 percent saying
they are somewhat effective.
Vitamin C is overwhelmingly the
most popular supplement choice,
with 85 percent of respondents who
take supplements to defend against
cold and flu saying they take it.
Vitamin C includes popular drugstore
brands like Emergen-C® and
Airborne®. Zinc, including the popular
Zicam®, follows Vitamin C at 26
percent as the second most popular
supplement.
“While a supplement like Vitamin
C is safe to take if you are traveling
or are in close contact with friends
or family who have colds or flu, other
supplements, especially herbal supplements,
should always be cleared
by your primary care doctor or other
physician,” said Dr. Adhi Sharma,
South Nassau’s chief medical officer.
New York State is seeing a surge
in flu cases this year, with 11,683
laboratory confirmed influenza
cases reported to the New York State
Department of Health and 2,221 New
Yorkers hospitalized with confirmed
influenza.
Governor Cuomo recently signed an
executive order allowing pharmacists
to administer flu vaccines to children
ages two to 18, increasing vaccine
accessibility. In January 2017, South
Nassau’s first Truth in Medicine poll
revealed that many metro area residents
go to work even if they have the
flu, despite an awareness by an overwhelming
majority that the flu virus
is spread person to person. Some 42
percent also incorrectly believed you
can get the flu from the flu shot.
“Although the flu shot may not
be 100 percent effective, it will help
reduce the severity of the flu and
its symptoms. Considering the high
prevalence of the flu and the fact that
it will carry on into April, if you haven’t
been vaccinated, yet, please do so;
it is never too late to get vaccinated,”
Glatt added.
The poll also showed that more
than one-third (36 percent) of parents
currently give their children
supplements, and 39 percent of that
group is doing so without a doctor’s
recommendation.
Parents in Long Island are more
likely to give their children supplements
than parents in New York City.
While those who take supplements
themselves are more likely to give
their children supplements, 18
percent of parents who do not take
supplements still choose to give them
to their children
The poll also showed that 62 percent
of supplement takers are aware
that the products are not regulated
by the FDA, but remain unconcerned.
Only 29 percent of all respondents
say they are concerned a lot (eight
percent) or some (21 percent) about
the lack of FDA regulation. Supplement
takers are even less concerned,
with only four percent saying it concerns
them a lot.
“The supplement industry is
growing by leaps and bounds, and
consumers are shelling out hundreds
of dollars based on the recommendations
of friends, family and the
media, oftentimes not asking for
their doctor’s opinion on how these
supplements can interact with other
prescriptions they may be taking,”
said Sharma.
Advertising also plays a meaningful
role in supplement choice,
with 15 percent indicating that an ad
prompted them to take a supplement
to ward off colds and flu. The U.S.
supplement industry contributes
billions to our economy, yet surprisingly
receives little regulation or
oversight.
Supplements include not just vitamins,
but herbal supplements like
weight-loss pills. Unlike prescription
drugs, which have to be prescribed by
a clinician and go through rigorous
rounds of clinical trials, supplements
go through no such review and do not
receive FDA approval. The FDA does
have oversight over labeling.
The South Nassau Truth in Medicine
Poll, sponsored by Bethpage Federal
Credit Union, was conducted via both
landlines and cell phones from January
2-5 with 600 adults in New York
City and on Long Island. The poll was
conducted as part of the hospital’s
mission of improving education
around critical public health issues.
The poll was conducted by a nationally
recognized, independent
polling firm, LJR Custom Strategies.
The South Nassau poll found a
slight variation of attitudes about
supplements that at times broke
down along gender, age and racial
lines. The poll found that:
*White adults are far more likely
to take a supplement than people of
color
*Two-thirds of men age 50 and over
take supplements, compared to 53
percent of women age 50+. Men also
spend more money than women.
*Only 41 percent of women under
50 and 37 percent of men under 50
take supplements
Even if you have gotten the flu
vaccination, you may still come into
contact with someone who has the
flu. So what can you do to prevent
yourself from getting the flu? Flu can
be spread very easily from person to
person. Regularly wash your hands.
Protect your environment.
“Just as important, people who are
sick or are experiencing symptoms
of the flu should see their primary
care physicians, then stay home and
not expose others,” said Glatt. “For
individuals who are considered at
greater risk of catching the flu and
may have been exposed to it, prophylactic
(preventive) treatment with a
prescription drug (Tamiflu) may be
necessary, which can be prescribed
by your doctor.”