DIETARY supplement use was highly prevalent among adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with almost one-third taking supplement and prescription medication combinations that could interact, according to a cross-sectional study of 451 participants.
Researchers analysed data from the Approaches to Positive, Patient-Centered Experiences of Aging With Lupus study, which formed part of the Georgians Organized Against Lupus cohort. Participants reported their supplement and medication use during a single study visit, and potential interactions were assessed using the NatMed Pro database.
Overall, 80.9% of participants used at least one dietary supplement, while 55.9% reported taking two or more. Vitamin D was the most commonly used supplement (64.1%), followed by multivitamins (45.2%), calcium (29.7%), vitamin B12 (10.6%) and iron (9.3%).
Nearly one-third of participants (29.5%) were taking combinations of supplements and prescription medicines with the potential for an interaction. The study identified these combinations using a reference database, meaning the findings indicate potential interactions rather than confirmed adverse effects.
Taking at least two supplements was more common among older participants, those with higher educational attainment, people taking at least five prescription medicines and those with greater healthcare use.
Potential supplement–medication interactions were also more frequent among participants with polypharmacy, greater SLE-related disease damage and recent primary care visits.
The findings highlight the importance of asking patients with SLE about dietary supplements alongside their prescribed medicines. Although supplements were widely used, the study identified a substantial proportion of participants taking combinations with potential for interaction.
The authors concluded that routine assessment of supplement use and support for informed decision-making could help promote safer supplement use among people with SLE. As the study was cross-sectional and assessed potential interactions, it does not establish whether these combinations caused harm or how frequently adverse outcomes occurred.
Patterson SL et al. Prevalence of dietary supplement use and potential medication interactions among adults with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2026;DOI:10.1002/acr.80165.
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