Vitamin E and Respiratory Tract Infections in Elderly Nursing Home Residents

piratory tract infections (44% vs 52%; RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.69-1.00; P=.05 for all participants; and 50% vs 62%; RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-0.96; P=.01 for completing participants). When common colds were analyzed in a post hoc subgroup analysis, the vitamin E group had a lower incidence of common cold (0.67 vs 0.81 per person-year; RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.68-1.01;P=.06 for all participants; and 0.66 vs 0.83 per person-year; RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-0.98; P=.04 for completing participants) and fewer participants in the vitamin E group acquired 1 or more colds (40% vs 48%; RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67-1.00; P=.05 for all participants; and 46% vs 57%; RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-0.96; P=.02 for completing participants). Vitamin E had no significant effect on antibiotic use. Conclusions Supplementation with 200 IU per day of vitamin E did not have a statistically significant effect on lower respiratory tract infections in elderly nursing home residents. However, we observed a protective effect of vitamin E supplementation on upper respiratory tract infections, particularly the common cold, that merits further investigation.