Research · PMID 31405892
Reviewed by Neal Rouzier, MD, Preventive Medicine · Sep 2026
Association between vitamin D supplementation and mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis.
BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · August 2019 · Yu Zhang, Fang Fang, Jingjing Tang, Lu Jia, Yuning Feng, et al.
What this study found
Vitamin D supplementation alone was not associated with all cause mortality in adults compared with placebo or no treatment. Vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of cancer death by 16%.
How RAGMD uses this study
Clinical questions this paper informs
Synthesis lives on the evidence question — this page shows where the study sits in that analysis.
Primary study
Does vitamin D supplementation reduce mortality or major disease?
Meta-analyses show vitamin D supplementation does not significantly reduce all-cause mortality in unselected populations. Targeted repletion may benefit those with documented deficiency.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Does magnesium supplementation improve metabolic health markers?
Trials in deficient or at-risk individuals show modest improvements in some glycemic and blood pressure markers, but routine supplementation for metabolic disease prevention is not strongly supported in general populations.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Does DHEA supplementation improve health outcomes in aging adults?
DHEA raises circulating androgens and estrogens modestly but lacks robust outcome trial evidence for cardiovascular, cognitive, or mortality benefit in healthy aging adults without documented deficiency.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
When is growth hormone replacement appropriate in adults?
Growth hormone replacement is evidence-supported for adults with confirmed GH deficiency from pituitary disease, improving body composition and quality of life. Use in healthy aging or performance enhancement lacks safety and efficacy evidence.
Open evidence analysis