Prevention of exacerbations in patients with COPD and vitamin D deficiency through vitamin D supplementation (PRECOVID): a study protocol.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Their objective is to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on exacerbation rate specifically in vitamin D deficient COPD patients.

Why It Was Studied

Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem in patients with COPD.

This trial is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, ID number NCT02122627.

Who Took Part

The study group was 240 patients.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults, middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

Participants will receive a diary card to register the incidence of exacerbations and changes in medication during the study period.

Participants will undergo spirometry, measurement of total lung capacity and assessment of maximal respiratory mouth pressure.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the patients and researchers unaware of who received Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Some patients received a placebo instead of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, giving a reference point.

The researchers will perform a randomised, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study.

Visits will be performed at baseline, at 6 months and at 12 months after randomisation.

Several physical performance and hand grip strength tests will be performed, questionnaires on quality of life and physical activity will be filled in, a nasal secretion sample and swab will be obtained and blood samples will be taken.

The primary outcome will be exacerbation rate.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Cholecalciferol, Dietary Supplements, Hand Strength, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, Quality of Life, Respiratory Function Tests and Surveys and Questionnaires.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 240 patients.

Its findings take up roughly 4 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2015 (BMC pulmonary medicine), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.