The clinical effects of vitamin C supplementation in elderly hospitalised patients with acute respiratory infections.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual double-blind randomized controlled trial
What was done
A double-blind randomized controlled trial evaluated 57 elderly patients admitted to the hospital with acute respiratory infections (bronchitis and bronchopneumonia). Participants were assigned to receive either 200 mg/day of oral vitamin C or a matching placebo. Clinical symptoms and biochemical markers (plasma and white blood cell vitamin C concentrations) were assessed at admission, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks.
What was found
Supplementation with 200 mg/day of vitamin C led to a significant increase in plasma and white blood cell vitamin C concentrations. Patients receiving vitamin C had significantly better clinical symptom scores than those on placebo, with the greatest benefit observed in patients who entered the trial most severely ill and with very low baseline vitamin C levels. Specific numerical scores, variance, and p-values were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides randomized evidence that correcting vitamin C depletion with modest daily doses may improve clinical symptom recovery in vulnerable elderly patients hospitalized with acute respiratory infections.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 57), and the abstract does not provide exact numerical effect sizes, p-values, or confidence intervals. Hard outcomes such as duration of hospitalization, mechanical ventilation needs, or mortality were not described in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports A therapeutic trial in 57 elderly patients diagnosed with bronchitis or bronchopneumonia found that 200 milligrams of vitamin C daily improved respiratory function compared to controls.