Micronutrient Supplementation in Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Low vitamin and mineral levels are associated with increased frailty.
• The efficacy of micronutrient supplementation for frail individuals is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review randomized controlled trials on micronutrient supplementation in frail individuals.
• To assess the impact of supplementation on all-cause mortality and frailty levels.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed and Embase up to June 10, 2025.
• Inclusion of 21 randomized controlled trials involving supplementation in frail populations.
• Meta-analysis of outcomes including all-cause mortality and changes in frailty.

Main Results:

• Vitamin D supplementation did not significantly affect all-cause mortality (pooled RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.83 to 1.31) with moderate certainty.
• Multicomponent supplementation showed no significant effect on frailty levels (pooled MD = -0.28, 95% CI: -0.71 to 0.16) with very low certainty.
• Limited data exists for other micronutrients like nicotinamide.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence does not support the routine prescription of micronutrient supplementation for frail individuals.
• Future research should prioritize longitudinal assessments of frailty, cognitive function, and functional measures.