Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39993397›Full record

SynthesisThe lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology2025

Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of stratified aggregate data.

David A Jolliffe, Carlos A Camargo, John D Sluyter, Mary Aglipay, John F Aloia, Peter Bergman, Heike A Bischoff-Ferrari, Arturo Borzutzky, Vadim Y Bubes, Camilla T Damsgaard and 35 more

Erratum issuedAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 20 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  10. Vitamin D in pulmonary disease.Breathe (Sheffield, England) · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

45 authors.

David A JolliffeBlizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Centre for Applied Respiratory Research Innovation and Implementation, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. Electronic address: d.a.jolliffe@qmul.ac.uk.
Carlos A CamargoDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
John D SluyterSchool of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Mary AglipayDepartment of Pediatrics, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
John F AloiaBone Mineral Research Center, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA.
Peter BergmanDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Heike A Bischoff-FerrariDepartment of Aging Medicine and Aging Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Arturo BorzutzkyDepartment of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Vadim Y BubesDivision of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Camilla T DamsgaardDepartment of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Francine M DucharmeDepartments of Paediatrics and of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montréal, Canada.
Gal Dubnov-RazExercise, Lifestyle and Nutrition Clinic, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Susanna EspositoPaediatric Clinic, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Davaasambuu GanmaaDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Clare GilhamDepartment of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Adit A GindeDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
Inbal Golan-TriptoSaban Pediatric Medical Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.
Emma C GoodallDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Cameron C GrantDepartment of Paediatrics: Child & Youth Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Christopher J GriffithsBlizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Centre for Applied Respiratory Research Innovation and Implementation, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Anna Maria HibbsDepartment of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Wim JanssensUniversitair ziekenhuis Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Anuradha Vaman KhadilkarHirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Maharashtra, India.
Ilkka LaaksiFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland; The Centre For Military Medicine, Finland.
Margaret T LeeDivision of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Mark LoebDepartment of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Jonathon L MaguireDepartment of Pediatrics, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Paweł MajakDepartment of Pediatric Pulmonology, Medical University of Lodz, Korczak Pediatric Center, Lodz, Poland.
Semira Manaseki-HollandDepartment of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
JoAnn E MansonDivision of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
David T MaugerDepartment of Statistics, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA.
David R MurdochDepartment of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Akio NakashimaJikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Rachel E NealeTrivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, Sonepat, Haryana, India.
Hai PhamPopulation Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia.
Christine RakeDepartment of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Judy R ReesDepartment of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.
Jenni RosendahlChildren's Hospital, Pediatric Research Centre, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Robert ScraggSchool of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Dheeraj ShahDepartment of Paediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India.
Yoshiki ShimizuFANCL Research Institute, FANCL Corporation, Yokohama, Japan.
Steve Simpson-YapFlorey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Neuroepidemiology Unit, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
Geeta Trilok KumarTrivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, Sonepat, Haryana, India.
Mitsuyoshi UrashimaJikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Adrian R MartineauBlizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Centre for Applied Respiratory Research Innovation and Implementation, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. Electronic address: a.martineau@qmul.ac.uk.

Funding

The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL): Post-Intervention Follow-UpR01AT011729 · NCCIH · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI Jun Li, JoAnn Elisabeth Manson · 2021 to 2026
$5.2M
NCCIH NIH HHS R01 AT011729
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA 2021 meta-analysis of 37 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin D supplementation for prevention of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) revealed a statistically significant protective effect of the intervention (odds ratio [OR] 0·92 [95% CI 0·86 to 0·99]). Since then, six eligible RCTs have been completed, including one large trial (n=15 804). We aimed to re-examine the link between vitamin D supplementation and prevention of ARIs.

methodsUpdated systematic review and meta-analysis of data from RCTs of vitamin D for ARI prevention using a random effects model. Subgroup analyses were done to determine whether effects of vitamin D on risk of ARI varied according to baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration, dosing regimen, or age. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and the ClinicalTrials.gov between May 1, 2020 (end-date of search of our previous meta-analysis) and April 30, 2024. No language restrictions were imposed. Double-blind RCTs supplementing vitamin D for any duration, with placebo or lower-dose vitamin D control, were eligible if approved by a Research Ethics Committee and if ARI incidence was collected prospectively and pre-specified as an efficacy outcome. Aggregate data, stratified by baseline 25(OH)D concentration and age, were obtained from study authors. The study was registered with PROSPERO (no. CRD42024527191).

findingsWe identified six new RCTs (19 337 participants). Data were obtained for 16 085 (83·2%) participants in three new RCTs and combined with data from 48 488 participants in 43 RCTs identified in our previous meta-analysis. For the primary comparison of any vitamin D versus placebo, the intervention did not statistically significantly affect overall ARI risk (OR 0·94 [95% CI 0·88-1·00], p=0·057; 40 studies; 61 589 participants; I

interpretationThis updated meta-analysis yielded a similar point estimate for the overall effect of vitamin D supplementation on ARI risk to that obtained previously, but the 95% CI for this effect estimate now includes 1·00, indicating no statistically significant protection.

fundingNone.

Indexed as

Dietary SupplementsRespiratory Tract InfectionsVitamin DVitaminsAcute DiseaseHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topic25-hydroxyvitamin DVitamin DVitamins

Identifiers

PMID39993397
PMCPMC12056739

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.