Writing in the journal BMC Geriatrics, researchers from the University of California San Diego reported findings showing that people 65 years and older, 75% of whom consume dietary supplements, may spend close to $200 a month on supplements at the higher end.
“As healthcare costs rise, increased attention is needed to better understand relative DS costs among older adults, as well as the impact of those costs, which could include prescription medication nonadherence, food insecurity and many other financially sensitive determinants of health,” the researchers wrote.
Out-of-pocket expense
Many older adults take dietary supplements to maintain and improve overall health, a trend that has increased in the United States over the last several decades. According to the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 74% of U.S. adults over the age of 60 consumed a dietary supplement within the previous 30 days of survey administration.
Studies show that older adults, many of whom are dependent on fixed incomes, are financially burdened by prescriptions, sometimes even choosing not to refill certain medications. Data is sparse when it comes to the burden of dietary supplements, and the real-word costs are often unclear.
“Despite these understandable cost-conscious behaviors, in 2022, the global DS market was valued at $169 billion and is predicted to increase to $330 billion in 2030,” the researchers noted. “As most insurance payers, including Medicare, do not cover DS, individuals often pay for DS out of pocket.”
The researchers suggest that there is a need to better quantify the financial burden of dietary supplements for older adults, starting with the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study.
“[For this demographic], the relative costs of dietary supplements remain poorly understood,” the researchers explained. “Using a lower-priced online retailer to create conservative cost estimates, the cost burden of dietary supplements per older adult remains high.”
Study details
The multicenter, prospective cohort LongROAD study included 2,990 participants over the age of 65 from five study locations (Michigan, Colorado, New York, Maryland and California) from July 2015 to March 2017. They were followed for five years. Over that time, researchers catalogued the kinds of medication participants took during three in-person and three telephone interviews.
The researchers explained that prescription and OTC medications, as well as dietary supplements, were systematically coded according to the American Hospital Foundation Service (AHFS) system. The AHFS system, used as a guide for the study, normally does not include supplements other than some vitamins and minerals.
The supplements included in the analysis were individual supplements, multivitamins, B combinations, eye vitamins, artificial tears, probiotics, digestive enzymes, elemental minerals, amino acids and more. The study also included topicals and cannabis products in their assessment.
The researchers estimated costs by finding the lowest priced available formulation in a popular online marketplace during the summer of 2022, which was applied to the duration of the study.
The cost burden for supplements per participant was evaluated by determining the frequency of consumption and cost per pill. This information was then cross-referenced against dietary supplement formulations listed by the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health. The researchers applied 30-day cost estimates which were maintained for one year until another review period could re-estimate calculations.
The minimum monthly estimated cost for supplements was $0.73, and the maximum monthly estimated cost was $174.80. The most and least expensive supplements were omega-3 plus turmeric ($49.30/month) and zinc ($0.73/month). The mean annual estimated cost burden of dietary supplement among users was $186.
Regarding demographics, individuals between the ages of 64 and 69 spent less per month on supplements than those who were older. Women spent more on supplements than men throughout the study.
“Future analyses will need to further explore the relationship between the DS cost burden and clinical measures and outcomes and assist older adults in making medically-sound decisions about medication and dietary supplement use,” the researchers wrote. “For example, prior studies have shown that the cost of prescription medications is a primary factor in nonadherence, while at the same time, older adults are also increasing their supplement use and spending more on dietary supplements.”
Source: BMC Geriatrics. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-05823-x. “Examining the cost burden of dietary supplements in older adults: an analysis from the AAA longroad study”. Authors: Sara Baird et al.
