[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 15467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4437]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


State-of-the-Science Conference: Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements 
and Chronic Disease Prevention; Notice

    Notice is hereby given of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
``State-of-the-Science Conference: Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and 
Chronic Disease Prevention'' to be held May 15-17, 2006, in the NIH 
Natcher Conference Center, 45 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. 
The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. on May 15 and 16, and at 9 a.m. 
on May 17, and will be open to the public.
    It is estimated that more than one-third of American adults take 
multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements regularly. Recommendations 
regarding supplement use from expert groups vary widely, as does the 
strength of the evidence supporting such guidelines. As more and more 
Americans seek strategies for maintaining good health and preventing 
disease, and as the marketplace offers an increasing number of products 
to fill that desire, it is important that consumers have the best 
possible information to inform their choices.
    The Office of Dietary Supplements and the Office of Medical 
Applications of Research of the NIH will convene a State-of-the-Science 
Conference on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease 
Prevention, May 15 to 17, 2006, in Bethesda, Maryland. The goal of the 
conference is to assess the evidence available on MVM use and outcomes 
for chronic disease prevention in adults and to make recommendations 
for future research. Specifically, the conference will explore the 
following key questions:
     What are the current patterns and prevalence of the 
public's use of MVM supplements?
     What is known about the dietary nutrient intake of MVM 
users versus non-users?
     What is the efficacy of single vitamin/mineral supplement 
use in chronic disease prevention?
     What is the efficacy of MVM in chronic disease prevention 
in the general population of adults?
     What is known about the safety of MVM for the generally 
healthy population?
     What are the major knowledge gaps and research 
opportunities regarding MVM use?
    An impartial, independent panel will be charged with reviewing the 
available published literature in advance of the conference, including 
a systematic literature review commissioned through the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality. The first day and a half of the 
conference will consist of presentations by expert researchers and 
practitioners and open public discussions. On Wednesday, May 17, the 
panel will present a statement of its collective assessment of the 
evidence to answer each of the questions above. The panel will also 
hold a press conference to address questions from the media. The draft 
statement will be published online later that day, and the final 
version will be released approximately six weeks later.
    The primary sponsors of this meeting are the NIH Office of Dietary 
Supplements and the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research.
    Advance information about the conference and conference 
registration materials may be obtained from American Institutes for 
Research of Silver Spring, Maryland, by calling 888-644-2667, or by 
sending e-mail to [email protected]. American Institutes for 
Research's mailing address is 10720 Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 
20901. Registration information is also available on the NIH Consensus 
Development Program Web site at  

http://consensus.nih.gov.

    Please note: The NIH has recently instituted new security measures 
to ensure the safety of NIH employees and property. All visitors must 
be prepared to show a photo ID upon request. Visitors may be required 
to pass through a metal detector and have bags, backpacks, or purses 
inspected or x-rayed as they enter NIH buildings. For more information 
about the new security measures at NIH, please visit the Web site at 

http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorsecurity.htm.

    Dated: March 20, 2006.
Raynard S. Kington,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E6-4437 Filed 3-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P