PMID 21868478 Vitamin A supplements for preventing mortality, illness, and blindness in children aged under 5: systematic review and meta-analysis Meta-analysis · BMJ, 2011 In children in deficiency areas, vitamin A supplementation sharply lowered death, measles, night-blindness, and xerophthalmia risk (meta-analysisA statistical synthesis combining results of multiple studies into one conclusion.).
Key summary
A meta-analysisA statistical synthesis combining results of multiple studies into one conclusion. of 43 randomised trials (about 215,633 children) aged 6 months to 5 years. Vitamin A supplementation lowered all-cause death by 24% (0.76) and markedly reduced diarrhoea and measles incidence and night blindness (0.32) and xerophthalmia (0.31). The conclusion is that vitamin A should be given to children at risk of deficiency, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Vomiting within 48 hours of dosing rose slightly.
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OBJECTIVE: To determine if vitamin A supplementation is associated with reductions in mortality and morbidity in children aged 6 months to 5 years. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion. Data were double extracted; discrepancies were resolved by discussion. Meta-analyses were performed for mortality, illness, vision, and side effects. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, Global Health, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, metaRegister of Controlled Trials, and African Index Medicus. Databases were searched to April 2010 without restriction by language or publication status. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Randomised trials of synthetic oral vitamin A supplements in children aged 6 months to 5 years. Studies of children with current illness (such as diarrhoea, measles, and HIV), studies of children in hospital, and studies of food fortification or β carotene were excluded. RESULTS: 43 trials with about 215,633 children were included. Seventeen trials including 194,483 participants reported a 24% reduction in all cause mortality (rate ratio=0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.69 to 0.83). Seven trials reported a 28% reduction in mortality associated with diarrhoea (0.72, 0.57 to 0.91). Vitamin A supplementation was associated with a reduced incidence of diarrhoea (0.85, 0.82 to 0.87) and measles (0.50, 0.37 to 0.67) and a reduced prevalence of vision problems, including night blindness (0.32, 0.21 to 0.50) and xerophthalmia (0.31, 0.22 to 0.45). Three trials reported an increased risk of vomiting within the first 48 hours of supplementation (2.75, 1.81 to 4.19). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin A supplementation is associated with large reductions in mortality, morbidity, and vision problems in a range of settings, and these results cannot be explained by bias. Further placebo controlled trials of vitamin A supplementation in children between 6 and 59 months of age are not required. However, there is a need for further studies comparing different doses and delivery mechanisms (for example, fortification). Until other sources are available, vitamin A supplements should be given to all children at risk of deficiency, particularly in low and middle income countries. ※ The abstract text as collected and stored via the API by the pipeline. The key summary is written based solely on this text.
View original ↗ PMID 21501438 Impact of vitamin A supplementation on infant and childhood mortality Meta-analysis · BMC Public Health, 2011 In children 6-59 months, preventive vitamin A lowered all-cause death by 25% and diarrhoea death by 30%, but had no effect in infants 1-6 months (meta-analysisA statistical synthesis combining results of multiple studies into one conclusion.).
Key summary
A meta-analysisA statistical synthesis combining results of multiple studies into one conclusion. of children in community settings. Preventive vitamin A supplementation lowered all-cause death by 25% (0.75) and diarrhoea-related death by 30% (0.70) in children 6-59 months. There was a 12% reduction signal in neonates, but no effect in infants 1-6 months and no significant effect on measles-, meningitis-, or pneumonia-specific death.
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INTRODUCTION: Vitamin A is important for the integrity and regeneration of respiratory and gastrointestinal epithelia and is involved in regulating human immune function. It has been shown previously that vitamin A has a preventive effect on all-cause and disease specific mortality in children under five. The purpose of this paper was to get a point estimate of efficacy of vitamin A supplementation in reducing cause specific mortality by using Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) guidelines. METHODS: A literature search was done on PubMed, Cochrane Library and WHO regional data bases using various free and Mesh terms for vitamin A and mortality. Data were abstracted into standardized forms and quality of studies was assessed according to standardized guidelines. Pooled estimates were generated for preventive effect of vitamin A supplementation on all-cause and disease specific mortality of diarrhea, measles, pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. We did a subgroup analysis for vitamin A supplementation in neonates, infants 1-6 months and children aged 6-59 months. In this paper we have focused on estimation of efficacy of vitamin A supplementation in children 6-59 months of age. Results for neonatal vitamin A supplementation have been presented, however no recommendations are made as more evidence on it would be available soon. RESULTS: There were 21 studies evaluating preventive effect of vitamin A supplementation in community settings which reported all-cause mortality. Twelve of these also reported cause specific mortality for diarrhea and pneumonia and six reported measles specific mortality. Combined results from six studies showed that neonatal vitamin A supplementation reduced all-cause mortality by 12 % [Relative risk (RR) 0.88; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.79-0.98]. There was no effect of vitamin A supplementation in reducing all-cause mortality in infants 1-6 months of age [RR 1.05; 95 % CI 0.88-1.26]. Pooled results for preventive vitamin A supplementation showed that it reduced all-cause mortality by 25% [RR 0.75; 95 % CI 0.64-0.88] in children 6-59 months of age. Vitamin A supplementation also reduced diarrhea specific mortality by 30% [RR 0.70; 95 % CI 0.58-0.86] in children 6-59 months. This effect has been recommended for inclusion in the Lives Saved Tool. Vitamin A supplementation had no effect on measles [RR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.43-1.16], meningitis [RR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.22-2.48] and pneumonia [RR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.67-1.30] specific mortality. CONCLUSION: Preventive vitamin A supplementation reduces all-cause and diarrhea specific mortality in children 6-59 months of age in community settings in developing countries. ※ The abstract text as collected and stored via the API by the pipeline. The key summary is written based solely on this text.
View original ↗ PMID 16235283 Vitamin A for treating measles in children Meta-analysis (Cochrane) · Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2005 Overall there was no significant death reduction in children with measles, but a two-day regimen lowered death and pneumonia-death risk in those under two (CochraneAn international network that rigorously reviews and synthesizes evidence.).
Key summary
A CochraneAn international network that rigorously reviews and synthesizes evidence. meta-analysisA statistical synthesis combining results of multiple studies into one conclusion. of randomised trials giving vitamin A to children with measles. Overall death risk was not significantly reduced (0.70), but a two-day 200,000 IUInternational unit - a measure of a vitamin biological activity; for vitamin E, 1 IU is roughly 0.45 to 0.67 mg depending on the form. regimen lowered death (0.18) and pneumonia-related death (0.33) in children under two and reduced croup. The conclusion is that the benefit is clearer in young children in deficiency-prone areas.
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BACKGROUND: Measles is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Vitamin A deficiency is a recognized risk factor for severe measles infections. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends administration of an oral dose of vitamin A (200,000 international units (IU), or 100,000 IU in infants) each day for two days to children with measles when they live in areas where vitamin A deficiency may be present. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether vitamin A therapy, commenced after measles has been diagnosed, is beneficial in preventing mortality, pneumonia and other secondary complications in children. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to March 2005), EMBASE (1980 to December 2004) and looked for unpublished studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Only randomized controlled trials in which children with measles were given vitamin A or placebo along with standard treatment were considered. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Studies were assessed independently by two authors. The analysis of dichotomous outcomes was done using the StatXact software and results expressed as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses were carried out for dose, formulation, age, hospitalization and pneumonia-specific mortality. Weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% CI were calculated for continuous outcomes. MAIN RESULTS: There was no significant reduction in the risk of mortality in the vitamin A group when all the studies were pooled using the random-effects model (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.15). Using two doses of vitamin A (200,000 IU) on consecutive days was associated with a reduction in the risk of mortality in children under the age of two years (RR 0.18; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.61) and a reduction in the risk of pneumonia-specific mortality (RR 0.33; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.92). There was no evidence that vitamin A in a single dose was associated with a reduced risk of mortality among children with measles. There was a reduction in the incidence of croup (RR 0.53; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.89) but no significant reduction in the incidence of pneumonia (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.22) or diarrhoea (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.27 to 2.34) with two doses. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Although we found no overall significant reduction in mortality with vitamin A therapy for children with measles there was evidence that two doses were associated with a reduced risk of mortality and pneumonia-specific mortality in children under the age of two years. There were no trials that directly compared a single dose with two doses. ※ The abstract text as collected and stored via the API by the pipeline. The key summary is written based solely on this text.
View original ↗ PMID 8127329 The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers RCT · N Engl J Med, 1994 In male smokers, beta-carotene supplementation raised lung cancer incidence by 18% and total mortality by 8% (ATBC, large RCTRandomized controlled trial - a high-reliability trial that randomly assigns participants to compare effects.).
Key summary
A randomised trial in 29,133 male smokers in Finland (ATBC). Alpha-tocopherolThe family of fat-soluble compounds that make up vitamin E; alpha-tocopherol is the form the body mainly uses. or beta-carotene was expected to reduce lung cancer, but the beta-carotene group had 18% (3-36%) higher lung cancer incidence and 8% higher total mortality. A landmark trial first showing that antioxidant supplements may be harmful.
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BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic evidence indicates that diets high in carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as high serum levels of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) and beta carotene, are associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled primary-prevention trial to determine whether daily supplementation with alpha-tocopherol, beta carotene, or both would reduce the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers. A total of 29,133 male smokers 50 to 69 years of age from southwestern Finland were randomly assigned to one of four regimens: alpha-tocopherol (50 mg per day) alone, beta carotene (20 mg per day) alone, both alpha-tocopherol and beta carotene, or placebo. Follow-up continued for five to eight years. RESULTS: Among the 876 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed during the trial, no reduction in incidence was observed among the men who received alpha-tocopherol (change in incidence as compared with those who did not, -2 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, -14 to 12 percent). Unexpectedly, we observed a higher incidence of lung cancer among the men who received beta carotene than among those who did not (change in incidence, 18 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 3 to 36 percent). We found no evidence of an interaction between alpha-tocopherol and beta carotene with respect to the incidence of lung cancer. Fewer cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed among those who received alpha-tocopherol than among those who did not. Beta carotene had little or no effect on the incidence of cancer other than lung cancer. Alpha-tocopherol had no apparent effect on total mortality, although more deaths from hemorrhagic stroke were observed among the men who received this supplement than among those who did not. Total mortality was 8 percent higher (95 percent confidence interval, 1 to 16 percent) among the participants who received beta carotene than among those who did not, primarily because there were more deaths from lung cancer and ischemic heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: We found no reduction in the incidence of lung cancer among male smokers after five to eight years of dietary supplementation with alpha-tocopherol or beta carotene. In fact, this trial raises the possibility that these supplements may actually have harmful as well as beneficial effects. ※ The abstract text as collected and stored via the API by the pipeline. The key summary is written based solely on this text.
View original ↗ PMID 8901853 Risk factors for lung cancer and for intervention effects in CARET, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial RCT · J Natl Cancer Inst, 1996 The beta-carotene plus retinol (vitamin A) group had 28% more lung cancers and 17% more deaths, so the trial was stopped early (CARET).
Key summary
A randomised trial in 18,314 people at high risk of lung cancer (heavy smokers and asbestos-exposed workers) (CARET). The group taking beta-carotene 30 mg plus retinyl palmitate 25,000 IUInternational unit - a measure of a vitamin biological activity; for vitamin E, 1 IU is roughly 0.45 to 0.67 mg depending on the form. had no benefit and 28% more lung cancers and 17% more deaths, so it was stopped 21 months early (lung cancer incidence RR 1.36). The results were highly consistent with Finland's ATBC.
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BACKGROUND: Evidence has accumulated from observational studies that people eating more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in beta-carotene (a violet to yellow plant pigment that acts as an antioxidant and can be converted to vitamin A by enzymes in the intestinal wall and liver) and retinol (an alcohol chemical form of vitamin A), and people having higher serum beta-carotene concentrations had lower rates of lung cancer. The Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) tested the combination of 30 mg beta-carotene and 25,000 IU retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) taken daily against placebo in 18314 men and women at high risk of developing lung cancer. The CARET intervention was stopped 21 months early because of clear evidence of no benefit and substantial evidence of possible harm; there were 28% more lung cancers and 17% more deaths in the active intervention group (active = the daily combination of 30 mg beta-carotene and 25,000 IU retinyl palmitate). Promptly after the January 18, 1996, announcement that the CARET active intervention had been stopped, we published preliminary findings from CARET regarding cancer, heart disease, and total mortality. PURPOSE: We present for the first time results based on the pre-specified analytic method, details about risk factors for lung cancer, and analyses of subgroups and of factors that possibly influence response to the intervention. METHODS: CARET was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial, initiated with a pilot phase and then expanded 10-fold at six study centers. Cigarette smoking history and status and alcohol intake were assessed through participant self-report. Serum was collected from the participants at base line and periodically after randomization and was analyzed for beta-carotene concentration. An Endpoints Review Committee evaluated endpoint reports, including pathologic review of tissue specimens. The primary analysis is a stratified logrank test for intervention arm differences in lung cancer incidence, with weighting linearly to hypothesized full effect at 24 months after randomization. Relative risks (RRs) were estimated by use of Cox regression models; tests were performed for quantitative and qualitative interactions between the intervention and smoking status or alcohol intake. O'Brien-Fleming boundaries were used for stopping criteria at interim analyses. Statistical significance was set at the .05 alpha value, and all P values were derived from two-sided statistical tests. RESULTS: According to CARET's pre-specified analysis, there was an RR of 1.36 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.73; P = .01) for weighted lung cancer incidence for the active intervention group compared with the placebo group, and RR = 1.59 (95% CI = 1.13-2.23; P = .01) for weighted lung cancer mortality. All subgroups, except former smokers, had a point estimate of RR of 1.10 or greater for lung cancer. There are suggestions of associations of the excess lung cancer incidence with the highest quartile of alcohol intake (RR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.28-3.09; test for heterogeneity of RR among quartiles of alcohol intake has P = .01, unadjusted for multiple comparisons) and with large-cell histology (RR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.09-3.26; test for heterogeneity among histologic categories has P = .35), but not with base-line serum beta-carotene concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: CARET participants receiving the combination of beta-carotene and vitamin A had no chemopreventive benefit and had excess lung cancer incidence and mortality. The results are highly consistent with those found for beta-carotene in the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study in 29133 male smokers in Finland. ※ The abstract text as collected and stored via the API by the pipeline. The key summary is written based solely on this text.
View original ↗ PMID 7477116 Teratogenicity of high vitamin A intake Observational (cohort) · N Engl J Med, 1995 When pregnant women consumed more than 15,000 IUInternational unit - a measure of a vitamin biological activity; for vitamin E, 1 IU is roughly 0.45 to 0.67 mg depending on the form./day of preformed vitamin A, cranial-neural-crest defect prevalence was 3.5-fold, with a threshold near 10,000 IU from supplements (cohort).
Key summary
A cohort of 22,748 pregnant women. Babies of women consuming more than 15,000 IUInternational unit - a measure of a vitamin biological activity; for vitamin E, 1 IU is roughly 0.45 to 0.67 mg depending on the form./day of preformed (retinol) vitamin A had a 3.5-fold prevalence of cranial-neural-crest defects versus 5,000 IU/day or less, and for supplements alone there was a risk threshold near 10,000 IU/day. The risk was concentrated in high intake before the seventh week of gestation.
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BACKGROUND: Studies in animals indicate that natural forms of vitamin A are teratogenic. Synthetic retinoids chemically similar to vitamin A cause birth defects in humans; as in animals, the defects appear to affect tissues derived from the cranial neural crest. METHODS: Between October 1984 and June 1987, we identified 22,748 pregnant women when they underwent screening either by measurement of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein or by amniocentesis. Nurse interviewers obtained information on the women's diet, medications, and illnesses during the first trimester of pregnancy, as well as information on their family and medical history and exposure to environmental agents. We obtained information on the outcomes of pregnancy from the obstetricians who delivered the babies or from the women themselves. Of the 22,748 women, 339 had babies with birth defects; 121 of these babies had defects occurring in sites that originated in the cranial neural crest. RESULTS: For defects associated with cranial-neural-crest tissue, the ratio of the prevalence among the babies born to women who consumed more than 15,000 IU of preformed vitamin A per day from food and supplements to the prevalence among the babies whose mothers consumed 5000 IU or less per day was 3.5 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.7 to 7.3). For vitamin A from supplements alone, the ratio of the prevalence among the babies born to women who consumed more than 10,000 IU per day to that among the babies whose mothers consumed 5000 IU or less per day was 4.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 2.2 to 10.5). Using a smoothed regression curve, we found an apparent threshold near 10,000 IU per day of supplemental vitamin A. The increased frequency of defects was concentrated among the babies born to women who had consumed high levels of vitamin A before the seventh week of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: High dietary intake of preformed vitamin A appears to be teratogenic. Among the babies born to women who took more than 10,000 IU of preformed vitamin A per day in the form of supplements, we estimate that about 1 infant in 57 had a malformation attributable to the supplement. ※ The abstract text as collected and stored via the API by the pipeline. The key summary is written based solely on this text.
View original ↗ PMID 11594942 A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8 RCT · Arch Ophthalmol, 2001 A beta-carotene-containing antioxidant plus zinc lowered odds of progression to advanced AMD in a higher-risk group (odds ratio 0.72, RCTRandomized controlled trial - a high-reliability trial that randomly assigns participants to compare effects.).
Key summary
A randomised trial in 3,640 people at risk of AMD (AREDS). The group taking antioxidants (vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene 15 mg) plus zinc had a lower odds ratio (0.72) of progressing to advanced AMD, with a clearer effect in the higher-risk group. The effect belongs to the whole combination, and beta-carotene was later replaced in the revised formula because of lung cancer risk in smokers.
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BACKGROUND: Observational and experimental data suggest that antioxidant and/or zinc supplements may delay progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and vision loss. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of high-dose vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc supplements on AMD progression and visual acuity. DESIGN: The Age-Related Eye Disease Study, an 11-center double-masked clinical trial, enrolled participants in an AMD trial if they had extensive small drusen, intermediate drusen, large drusen, noncentral geographic atrophy, or pigment abnormalities in 1 or both eyes, or advanced AMD or vision loss due to AMD in 1 eye. At least 1 eye had best-corrected visual acuity of 20/32 or better. Participants were randomly assigned to receive daily oral tablets containing: (1) antioxidants (vitamin C, 500 mg; vitamin E, 400 IU; and beta carotene, 15 mg); (2) zinc, 80 mg, as zinc oxide and copper, 2 mg, as cupric oxide; (3) antioxidants plus zinc; or (4) placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Photographic assessment of progression to or treatment for advanced AMD and (2) at least moderate visual acuity loss from baseline (> or =15 letters). Primary analyses used repeated-measures logistic regression with a significance level of.01, unadjusted for covariates. Serum level measurements, medical histories, and mortality rates were used for safety monitoring. RESULTS: Average follow-up of the 3640 enrolled study participants, aged 55-80 years, was 6.3 years, with 2.4% lost to follow-up. Comparison with placebo demonstrated a statistically significant odds reduction for the development of advanced AMD with antioxidants plus zinc (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 99% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.98). The ORs for zinc alone and antioxidants alone are 0.75 (99% CI, 0.55-1.03) and 0.80 (99% CI, 0.59-1.09), respectively. Participants with extensive small drusen, nonextensive intermediate size drusen, or pigment abnormalities had only a 1.3% 5-year probability of progression to advanced AMD. Odds reduction estimates increased when these 1063 participants were excluded (antioxidants plus zinc: OR, 0.66; 99% CI, 0.47-0.91; zinc: OR, 0.71; 99% CI, 0.52-0.99; antioxidants: OR, 0.76; 99% CI, 0.55-1.05). Both zinc and antioxidants plus zinc significantly reduced the odds of developing advanced AMD in this higher-risk group. The only statistically significant reduction in rates of at least moderate visual acuity loss occurred in persons assigned to receive antioxidants plus zinc (OR, 0.73; 99% CI, 0.54-0.99). No statistically significant serious adverse effect was associated with any of the formulations. CONCLUSIONS: Persons older than 55 years should have dilated eye examinations to determine their risk of developing advanced AMD. Those with extensive intermediate size drusen, at least 1 large druse, noncentral geographic atrophy in 1 or both eyes, or advanced AMD or vision loss due to AMD in 1 eye, and without contraindications such as smoking, should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc such as that used in this study. ※ The abstract text as collected and stored via the API by the pipeline. The key summary is written based solely on this text.
View original ↗ USDA FoodData Central Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised (FDC 168626)
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View original ↗ USDA FoodData Central Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt (FDC 168483)
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View original ↗ USDA FoodData Central Carrots, raw (FDC 170393)
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View original ↗ USDA FoodData Central Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 168463)
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View original ↗ USDA FoodData Central Melons, cantaloupe, raw (FDC 169092)
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