I’m excited to bring you this week’s “Monday Study Rundown,” featuring a comprehensive study on the role of vitamin D supplementation in preventing acute respiratory infections (ARIs). This research sheds light on how vitamin D can influence respiratory health, especially in different populations.
Key Highlights:
Participants: 75,541 individuals from 46 randomized controlled trials, ranging from infants to seniors.
Results:
- Overall Findings: Participants receiving vitamin D had a slightly lower incidence of ARIs (61.3%) compared to those on placebo (62.3%), resulting in a pooled odds ratio of 0.92, indicating a modest protective effect.
- Subgroup Insights:
- Daily Dosing (400-1000 IU): Associated with a significant reduction in ARI risk (OR 0.70).
- Short-Term Use (≤12 months): Showed a protective effect (OR 0.82).
- Age Group (1-15 years): Benefitted most, with an OR of 0.71.
Safety: No significant difference in serious adverse events was observed between the vitamin D and placebo groups, indicating that supplementation was safe.
Conclusion: This study supports the use of vitamin D supplementation as a safe and effective strategy to reduce the risk of acute respiratory infections, particularly in children and with specific dosing regimens.
