Article Publish Status: FREE
Abstract Title:

Vitamin D supplementation to patients with frequent respiratory tract infections: a post hoc analysis of a randomized and placebo-controlled trial.

Abstract Source:

BMC Res Notes. 2015 ;8(1):391. Epub 2015 Aug 30. PMID: 26319134

Abstract Author(s):

Peter Bergman, Anna-Carin Norlin, Susanne Hansen, Linda Björkhem-Bergman

Article Affiliation:

Peter Bergman

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is considered to be important for a healthy immune system. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that vitamin D supplementation reduces number of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and prolong the time to the first RTI in adult patients with frequent RTIs.

METHODS: We performed a post hoc analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blinded study, where adult patients with a high burden of RTIs were randomized to placebo or vitamin D (4000 IE/day for 1 year, n = 124 in the per protocol cohort presented here).

RESULTS: Vitamin D supplementation increased the probability to stay free of RTI during the study year (RR 0.64, 95 % CI 0.43-0.94). Further, the total number of RTIs was also reduced in the vitamin D-group (86 RTIs) versus placebo (120 RTIs; p = 0.05). Finally, the time to the first RTI was significantly extended in the vitamin D-group (HR 1.68, 95 % CI 1.03-2.68, p = 0.0376).

CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation was found to significantly increase the probability of staying infection free during the study period. This finding further supports the notion that vitamin D-status should be monitored in adult patients with frequent RTIs and suggests that selected patients with vitamin D deficiency are supplemented. This could be a safe and cheap way to reduce RTIs and improve health in this vulnerable patient population. The original trial was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01131858).

Study Type : Human Study

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