DEERFIELD, Ill., October 22, 2012 - The Journal of the American Medical Association Wednesday released a study showing that long-term multivitamin use may lower cancer risk among men. Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq: WAG) pharmacists are among the most accessible health care providers available to counsel individuals about their vitamin options.1
Daily use of a multivitamin reduced the incidence of total cancer in a long-term study of approximately 15,000 men, researchers said Wednesday. The study found that male physicians randomly chosen to take Pfizer Inc.'s PFE +0.16% multivitamin Centrum Silver had a statistically significant reduction in risk of developing cancer compared with those taking a placebo. Participants were followed for an average of 11.2 years.
“Our pharmacists are available to discuss vitamin options with individuals and counsel them about potential side effects that certain ingredients can have with select prescriptions,” said Kermit Crawford, Walgreens president of pharmacy, health and wellness. “Our large selection of multivitamin products and expert advice from pharmacists can help customers make the right choice to get, stay and live well.”
Results from the trial, titled the Physicians' Health Study II, were presented Wednesday at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Anaheim, Calif., and published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. A reported 2,669 cases of cancer were diagnosed among the participants, including 1,290 of the 7,317 men who took the multivitamin and 1,379 of 7,324 assigned to a placebo. Cancer deaths were also lower among vitamin-takers—403 versus 456, respectively.
1 Consultation is not a substitute for medical advice. Patients should consult with their physicians before taking any dietary supplement.
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As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2012 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to become America’s first choice for health and daily living. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 7,944 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
Walgreens
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