Vitamin D supplementation to patients with frequent respiratory tract infections: a post hoc analysis of a randomized and placebo-controlled trial
BMC Research Notes 2015, 8:391 doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1378-3
Peter Bergman 1 peter.bergman at ki.se, Anna-Carin Norlin2, Susanne Hansen3 and Linda Björkhem-Bergman1
1 Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, 141 86, Sweden
2 Division of Clincal Immunology, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, 141 86, Sweden
3 Infectious Disease Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, 141 86, Sweden
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.
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See also VitaminDWiki
- Respiratory infections reduced by 63 percent with 4000 IU vitamin D daily - RCT Dec 2012
- All preemies with Chronic Lung Disease had low vitamin D levels– July 2015
- Newborn acute lower respiratory tract infection associated with low maternal vitamin D – March 2015
- Respiratory Tract Infection visits 2.5 less likely with vitamin D: Pregnancy 2000 IU, Infant 800 IU – RCT Oct 2014
- Common cold prevented and treated by Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinacea – review April 2018
- RTI – Feel much better if increase vitamin D level above 40 ng (4000 IU) – RCT Sept 2015
- later analysis of data by same authors of study on this page
- Proof that Vitamin D Works RCT study on this page is one of the proofs that Vitamin D works