Recent meta-analyses reinforce the finding that 10 - 20 μg per day of vitamin D can reduce all-cause mortality and cancer mortality in middle-aged and older people .
Although vitamin D doses were greater than those assessed in the past , we found no new evidence that supplementation could have an effect on most non-skeletal conditions , including cardiovascular disease , adiposity , glucose metabolism , mood disorders , muscular function , tuberculosis , and colorectal adenomas , or on maternal and perinatal conditions .
The compilation of results from 83 trials showed that vitamin D supplementation had no significant effect on biomarkers of systemic inflammation .
The main new finding highlighted by this systematic review is that vitamin D supplementation might help to prevent common upper respiratory tract infections and asthma exacerbations .
There remains little evidence to suggest that vitamin D supplementation has an effect on most conditions , including chronic inflammation , despite use of increased doses of vitamin D , strengthening the hypothesis that low vitamin D status is a consequence of ill health , rather than its cause .
We further hypothesise that vitamin D supplementation could exert immunomodulatory effects that strengthen resistance to acute infections , which would reduce the risk of death in debilitated individuals .
Sepsis-Associated Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients with Malignancies.
RATIONALE Sepsis is a major cause of mortality among critically ill patients with cancer . Information about clinical outcomes and factors associated with increased risk of death in these patients is necessary to help physicians recognize those patients who are most likely to benefit from  ICU therapy  and identify possible targets for intervention . OBJECTIVES In this study , we evaluated cancer patients with sepsis chosen from a multicenter prospect i ve study to characterize their clinical characteristics and to identify independent risk factors associated with hospital mortality . METHODS Subgroup analysis of a multicenter prospect i ve cohort study conducted in 28 Brazilian intensive care units ( ICUs ) to evaluate adult cancer patients with severe sepsis and septic shock . We used logistic regression to identify variables associated with hospital mortality . MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of the 717 patients admitted to the participating ICUs , 268 ( 37 % ) had severe sepsis ( n = 142 , 53 % ) or septic shock ( n = 126 , 47 % ) . These patients comprised the population of the present study . The mean score on the third version of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score was 62.9 ± 17.7 points , and the median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was 9 ( 7 - 12 ) points . The most frequent sites of infection were the lungs ( 48 % ) , intraabdominal region ( 25 % ) , bloodstream as primary infection ( 19 % ) , and urinary tract ( 17 % ) . Half of the patients had microbiologically proven infections , and Gram-negative bacteria were the most common pathogens causing sepsis ( 31 % ) . ICU and hospital mortality rates were 42 % and 56 % , respectively . In multivariable analysis , the number of acute organ dysfunctions ( odds ratio [ OR ] , 1.48 ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 1.16 - 1.87 ) , hematological malignancies ( OR , 2.57 ; 95 % CI , 1.05 - 6.27 ) , performance status 2 - 4 ( OR , 2.53 ; 95 % CI , 1.44 - 4.43 ) , and polymicrobial infections ( OR , 3.74 ; 95 % CI , 1.52 - 9.21 ) were associated with hospital mortality . CONCLUSIONS Sepsis is a common cause of critical illness in patients with cancer and remains associated with high mortality . Variables related to underlying malignancy , sepsis severity , and characteristics of infection are associated with a grim prognosis
Recent meta-analyses reinforce the finding that 10 - 20 μg per day of vitamin D can reduce all-cause mortality and cancer mortality in middle-aged and older people .
Although vitamin D doses were greater than those assessed in the past , we found no new evidence that supplementation could have an effect on most non-skeletal conditions , including cardiovascular disease , adiposity , glucose metabolism , mood disorders , muscular function , tuberculosis , and colorectal adenomas , or on maternal and perinatal conditions .
The compilation of results from 83 trials showed that vitamin D supplementation had no significant effect on biomarkers of systemic inflammation .
The main new finding highlighted by this systematic review is that vitamin D supplementation might help to prevent common upper respiratory tract infections and asthma exacerbations .
There remains little evidence to suggest that vitamin D supplementation has an effect on most conditions , including chronic inflammation , despite use of increased doses of vitamin D , strengthening the hypothesis that low vitamin D status is a consequence of ill health , rather than its cause .
We further hypothesise that vitamin D supplementation could exert immunomodulatory effects that strengthen resistance to acute infections , which would reduce the risk of death in debilitated individuals .