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

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. We performed a post h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC research notes 2015-08, Vol.8 (1), p.391-391, Article 391
Main Authors: Bergman, Peter, Norlin, Anna-Carin, Hansen, Susanne, Björkhem-Bergman, Linda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alfacalcidol
Analysis
Calcifediol
Care and treatment
Clinical trials
Cohort Studies
Development and progression
Dietary Supplements
Health aspects
Humans
Infection
Medical research
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Medicine, Experimental
Placebos
Respiratory Tract Infections - prevention & control
Risk factors
Vitamin D
Vitamin D - administration & dosage
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Summary: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. 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). 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). 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).
ISSN:1756-0500
1756-0500
DOI:10.1186/s13104-015-1378-3