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ABSTRACT: Background
There remains a need to identify low-cost interventions to improve coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. Vitamin D and zinc play a role in respiratory infections and could hold value as part of therapeutic regimens.Objectives
To determine the effect of vitamin D or zinc supplementation on recovery from COVID-19.Methods
We conducted a double-blind, randomly assigned 2 x 2 factorial placebo-controlled trial with 1:1:1:1 allocation ratio, enrolling nonpregnant adults with COVID-19 from hospitals in Mumbai and Pune, India (NCT04641195). Participants (N = 181) were randomly assigned to vitamin D3 (180,000 IU bolus, then 2000 IU daily), zinc (40 mg daily), vitamin D3 and zinc, or placebo, for 8 wk. Participants were followed until 8 wk. The primary outcome was time to resolution of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Secondary outcomes were duration of individual symptoms; need for assisted ventilation; duration of hospital stay; all-cause mortality; and blood biomarkers, including nutritional, inflammatory, and immunological markers.Results
We observed no effect of vitamin D or zinc supplementation on time to resolution of all 3 symptoms [vitamin D hazard ratio (HR): 0.92; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.66, 1.30; P = 0.650; zinc HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.67, 1.33; P = 0.745)]. Neither vitamin D nor zinc supplementation was associated with secondary outcomes, except for increased endline serum vitamin D with vitamin D supplementation [median (interquartile range) difference between endline and baseline for vitamin D: 5.3 ng/mL (-2.3 to 13.7); for no vitamin D: -1.4 ng/mL (-5.6 to 3.9); P = 0.003]. We observed nonsignificant increases in serum zinc at endline following zinc supplementation. There was no evidence of interaction between vitamin D and zinc supplementation, no effect of either on hypercalcemia, and no adverse events.Conclusions
Results suggest that neither vitamin D nor zinc supplementation improves COVID-19 treatment outcomes in this population. However, much larger-scale evidence, particularly from populations with vitamin D or zinc deficiency and severe infection, is required to corroborate our findings. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov and the Clinical Trials Registry of India as NCT04641195 and CTRI/2021/04/032593 respectively.
SUBMITTER: Partap U
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10407567 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Partap Uttara U Sharma Kamal Kant KK Marathe Yogesh Y Wang Molin M Shaikh Sanaa S D'Costa Pradeep P Gupta Gaurav G Bromage Sabri S Hemler Elena C EC Mistry Nerges N Kain Kevin C KC Dholakia Yatin Y Fawzi Wafaie W WW
Current developments in nutrition 20230711 8
<h4>Background</h4>There remains a need to identify low-cost interventions to improve coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. Vitamin D and zinc play a role in respiratory infections and could hold value as part of therapeutic regimens.<h4>Objectives</h4>To determine the effect of vitamin D or zinc supplementation on recovery from COVID-19.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a double-blind, randomly assigned 2 x 2 factorial placebo-controlled trial with 1:1:1:1 allocation ratio, enrolling nonpreg ...[more]