Cross-sectional study of 451 adults with SLE in the APPEAL study evaluated the prevalence and correlates of dietary supplement use and identified potential supplement-medication interactions using the NatMed Pro database.
80.9% of participants used ≥1 dietary supplement, 55.9% used ≥2, and nearly one-third (29.5%) had at least one potential supplement-medication interaction; the most common supplements were vitamin D (64.1%), multivitamins (45.2%), and calcium (29.7%).
Cross-sectional design limits causal inference; data relied on self-report at a single study visit; the study population was drawn from a Georgia-based cohort, which may limit generalizability to other regions or demographics.
Clinicians caring for SLE patients should routinely ask about dietary supplement use, especially in those with polypharmacy or greater disease damage, as nearly 1 in 3 may have a clinically relevant supplement-drug interaction.
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