Vitamin D supplementation for prevention of mortality in adults

Vitamin D in the form of vitamin D₃ appears to slightly decrease all-cause mortality, but not cardiovascular mortality or cancer mortality, in predominantly elderly women. Vitamin D₃ combined with calcium significantly increases risk of nephrolithiasis.

The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear allocation concealment).

Summary

A Cochrane review included 56 studies with a total of 95 286 subjects to assess the beneficial and harmful effects of vitamin D for prevention of mortality in adults. Most trials included elderly women (older than 70 years). Vitamin D was administered for a median of two years.

When different forms of vitamin D were assessed in separate analyses, only vitamin D₃ decreased mortality (11.0% vs 11.4%); RR 0.94 (95% CI 0.91 to 0.98); 75 927 participants; 38 trials. Vitamin D₂, alfacalcidol and calcitriol did not significantly affect mortality. On the other hand, vitamin D₃ combined with calcium significantly increased the risk of nephrolithiasis RR 1.17 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.34); 42876 participants; 4 trials (Table 1).

Most of the trials had a low risk of bias. Data on health-related quality of life and health economics were inconclusive.

Clinical comments

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Ədəbiyyat

1. Bjelakovic G, Gluud LL, Nikolova D et al. Vitamin D supplementation for prevention of mortality in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014;(1):CD007470. .