Research paper

High‐Dose Monthly Vitamin D for Prevention of Acute Respiratory Infection in Older Long‐Term Care Residents: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Mar 2017

DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14679

Citations: 137

Influential: 1

Interventional (Human) Studies

Low RoB

Study answer

What this study found

Monthly high-dose vitamin D3 reduced acute respiratory infections but increased falls. In the high-dose versus standard-dose comparison, ARI events occurred in 17 (31%) versus 24 (46%) participants, with an incidence rate ratio of 0.60 (0.38-0.94; P=.02), and upper respiratory infections were also reduced, incidence rate ratio 0.52 (0.31-0.90; P=.02). Falls were more frequent with high-dose vitamin D3, incidence rate ratio 2.33 (1.49-3.63; P<.001), while fractures were not increased and no hypercalcemia or kidney stones were observed. Time to first ARI, lower respiratory infections,…

Study & population: Randomized clinical trial in older adults living in long-term care facilities in Colorado, United States.
Intervention: The active supplement was oral vitamin D3 100,000 IU once monthly for 12 months.
Key limitation: The trial was small and conducted in a specific population of older long-term care residents in Colorado, which limits generalizability.

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Original abstract

To determine the efficacy and safety of high‐dose vitamin D supplementation for prevention of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in older long‐term care residents.