2008 "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study Results Released

WASHINGTON, D.C., DECEMBER 10, 2020 - New results from the 2008 "Life...supplemented" Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study reveal orthopaedic specialists, cardiologists and dermatologists take and recommend dietary supplements to their patients both for overall wellness and reasons associated with their particular specialties. According to the study, practitioners within each specialty also believe the usage of dietary supplements among consumers is mainstream and more popular today than it was five years ago.

"We learned from the 2007 HCP Impact Study that physicians and nurses are taking supplements as part of a proactive wellness regimen that also includes healthy diet and regular exercise," said Judy Blatman, senior vice president of communications at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which manages the campaign. "With the second year of this study, we were able to dive into specific specialties and find similar trends, further demonstrating the important role for doctors in incorporating dietary supplements as an integral part of wellness."

The new study builds on the results of the 2007 HCP Impact Study, which showed 72 percent of physicians and 89 percent of nurses personally use dietary supplements and three-quarters of physicians (79 percent) and nurses (82 percent) recommend dietary supplements to their patients.  Following are highlights of the 2008 HCP Impact Study by specialty:

Orthopaedic Specialists

Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of orthopaedic specialists use dietary supplements and 63 percent believe the use of dietary supplements among consumers is mainstream. Eighty-six percent believe patients' usage of dietary supplements is higher today than it was five years ago. The top reasons orthopaedic specialists personally use dietary supplements include: Overall health and wellness benefits (43 percent), joint health (29 percent), heart health (26 percent), bone health (25 percent) and flu/colds (22 percent).

Nearly all orthopaedic specialists who take supplements recommend them to their patients (94 percent), yet 82 percent of orthopaedic specialists who do not take supplements still recommend them to their patients. In total, 91 percent of orthopaedic specialists recommend supplements to their patients, and the top reasons include: Bone health (75 percent), joint health (73 percent), musculoskeletal pain (53 percent), overall health and wellness benefits (25 percent) and lower cholesterol (13 percent).

Cardiologists

More than half (57 percent) of cardiologists use dietary supplements and 53 percent believe the use of dietary supplements among consumers is mainstream. Seventy-four percent believe patients' usage of dietary supplements is higher today than it was five years ago. The top reasons cardiologists use dietary supplements include: Overall health and wellness benefits (32 percent), heart health (29 percent), lower cholesterol (20 percent), energy (17 percent), and joint health and bone health (16 percent each).

Most cardiologists who take supplements recommend them to their patients (86 percent), whereas 54 percent of cardiologists who do not take supplements recommend them to their patients. Among the 72 percent of total cardiologists recommending supplements, the top reasons for doing so include: Lower cholesterol (58 percent), heart health (55 percent), maintain healthy cholesterol (36 percent), overall health and wellness benefits (30 percent) and bone health (22 percent).

Dermatologists

Three-quarters (75 percent) of dermatologists use dietary supplements and 60 percent believe the use of dietary supplements among consumers is mainstream. Eighty-three percent believe patients' usage of dietary supplements is higher today than it was five years ago. The top reasons dermatologists use dietary supplements include: Overall health and wellness benefits (42 percent); bone health (24 percent); skin, hair and nails (16 percent); heart health (15 percent) and anti-aging (14 percent).

Roughly four in five dermatologists who take supplements recommend them to their patients (79 percent), but only 28 percent of dermatologists who do not take supplements recommend them to their patients. Overall, 66 percent of dermatologists recommend supplements, and the top reasons include: Skin, hair and nails (81 percent); overall health and wellness benefits (30 percent); bone health (25 percent); anti-aging (20 percent); immune health and heart health (12 percent each).

Methodology:  Year I study results were released in November 2007 and surveyed 1,177 healthcare professionals (300 primary care physicians, 301 OB/GYNs, 299 other physician specialists and 277 registered nurses and nurse practitioners). Year II study results went public in November 2008 and comprise three separate surveys -- 300 cardiologists, 300 dermatologists, and 300 orthopaedic specialists. There is a margin of sampling error at a 95 percent confidence level at +3.3 percentage points for the total physician population (900 physicians) studied in Year I. Margins of sampling error at a 95 percent confidence level range from +5.6 percentage points to +5.9 percentage points for each of the specialty groups of healthcare professionals surveyed (primary care physicians, OB/GYNs, nurses, dermatologists, cardiologists and orthopaedic specialists).  A nominal honorarium was given to each healthcare professional completing the survey. Ipsos Public-Affairs conducted the surveys online.

About the "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study: The study is part of the "Life... supplemented" consumer wellness campaign, which is dedicated to driving awareness about the mainstream use of dietary supplements as an integral part of a proactive personal wellness regimen that combines healthy diet, supplements and exercise. The study evaluates the personal attitudes and use of dietary supplements by healthcare professionals and whether their attitudes toward supplements affect their clinical behavior and recommendations to patients. The "Life...supplemented" campaign is managed by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry. For more information: www.lifesupplemented.org.

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