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Effect of multivitamin and multimineral supplements on morbidity from infections in older people (MAVIS trial): pragmatic, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial

BMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7512.324 (Published 04 August 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:324
  1. Alison Avenell, clinical research fellow (a.avenell{at}abdn.ac.uk)1,
  2. Marion K Campbell, deputy director1,
  3. Jonathan A Cook, statistician1,
  4. Philip C Hannaford, NHS Grampian professor of primary care2,
  5. Mary M Kilonzo, research fellow3,
  6. Geraldine McNeill, research fellow4,
  7. Anne C Milne, research fellow1,
  8. Craig R Ramsay, senior statistician1,
  9. D Gwyn Seymour, professor of medicine for the elderly5,
  10. Audrey I Stephen1, research assistant,
  11. Luke D Vale3, senior research fellow
  1. 1 Health Services Research Unit, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
  2. 2 Department of General Practice and Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill Health Centre, Aberdeen AB25 2AY
  3. 3 Health Economics Research Unit, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
  4. 4 Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Liberty Safe Work Research Centre, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP
  5. 5 Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
  1. Correspondence to: A Avenell
  • Accepted 9 June 2005

Abstract

Objective To examine whether supplementation with multivitamins and multiminerals influences self reported days of infection, use of health services, and quality of life in people aged 65 or over.

Design Randomised, placebo controlled trial, with blinding of participants, outcome assessors, and investigators.

Setting Communities associated with six general practices in Grampian, Scotland.

Participants 910 men and women aged 65 or over who did not take vitamins or minerals.

Interventions Daily multivitamin and multimineral supplementation or placebo for one year.

Main outcome measures Primary outcomes were contacts with primary care for infections, self reported days of infection, and quality of life. Secondary outcomes included antibiotic prescriptions, hospital admissions, adverse events, and compliance.

Results Supplementation did not significantly affect contacts with primary care and days of infection per person (incidence rate ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.78 to 1.19 and 1.07, 0.90 to 1.27). Quality of life was not affected by supplementation. No statistically significant findings were found for secondary outcomes or subgroups.

Conclusion Routine multivitamin and multimineral supplementation of older people living at home does not affect self reported infection related morbidity.

Trial registration ISRCTN: 66376460.

Footnotes

  • Contributors AA, MKC, JAC, PCH, MMK, GMcN, ACM, CRR, DGS, AIS, and LDV (writing group of the MAVIS trial) designed the study, interpreted the data, wrote the paper, and approved the final version. AA is guarantor.

  • Funding Health Foundation (formerly PPP Healthcare Medical Trust). The Health Services Research Unit and Health Economics Research Unit are funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive Health Department. The views expressed are those of the authors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Ethical approval Grampian research ethics committee.

  • Accepted 9 June 2005
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