Vitamin D Supplementation Prevents Elderly Pneumonia

Vitamin D Supplementation Prevents Pneumonia in Institutionalized Elderly Subjects

Pneumonia is the fourth leading cause of death and frequently occurs in institutionalized elderly people in Japan. Recently, several clinical and experimental studies have reported the importance of vitamin D in the regulation of immune functions and its deficiency is associated with susceptibility to some infections. In the present study, the investigators hypothesize that deficiency of serum vitamin D is associated with development of pneumonia, and supplementation of vitamin D may lower the incidence of pneumonia and prolong survival in institutionalized elderly subjects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects are more than 65 years old and were resident in the facility for at least 6 months.
• Subjects have no conditions known to interfere with vitamin D metabolism.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects are excluded if they have:

  • renal failure
  • hepatic failure
  • hyper- or hypo-parathyroidism
  • HIV infection, or malignant diseases

• Subjects are also excluded if they are taking corticosteroid, thiazide diuretics, or supplementary vitamins.