Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data

Adrian R Martineau, David A Jolliffe, Richard L Hooper, Lauren Greenberg, John F  Aloia, Peter Bergman, Gal Dubnov-Raz, Susanna Esposito, Davaasambuu Ganmaa, Adit  A Ginde, Emma C Goodall, Cameron C Grant, Christopher J Griffiths, Wim  Janssens, Ilkka Laaksi, Semira Manaseki-Holland, David Mauger , David R  Murdoch, Rachel Neale , Judy R Rees, Steve Simpson Jr, Iwona Stelmach, Geeta Trilok  Kumar, Mitsuyoshi Urashima, Carlos A Camargo Jr 

The goal is to determine the overall effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of  acute respiratory tract infection, as well as the factors that influence it. Conceptualization  Individual participant data (IPD) from randomized controlled trials underwent a systematic  review and meta-analysis. Acute respiratory tract infections are a leading source of morbidity and  mortality worldwide, accounting for 10% of ambulatory and emergency department visits in the  United States and 2.65 million deaths globally in 2013. The quality of the evidence that went into  these studies was rated as excellent. Final Thoughts Vitamin D supplementation was found to be  safe and effective in preventing acute respiratory tract infection. Patients with severe vitamin D  deficiency and those who did not get bolus doses benefited the most.