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To the Editor: In contrast to the results of Ms Graat and colleagues,¹ we found that mineral supplementation could reduce the incidence of infections in institutionalized elderly people.² Although we did not find significant reductions in the rate of acute respiratory infections in any group that received supplements, we found that patients who received a mineral (zinc plus selenium) supplement were more likely to have had no infections after 2 years (P = .06). Moreover, in a subsample of 140 patients who were vaccinated against influenza, we noted a higher number of serologically protected patients after 1 and 3 months in the groups receiving mineral supplements (P<.05). Finally, we observed that vitamin supplementation (containing vitamins E, ascorbic acid, and beta carotene) seemed to have a negative effect on antibody titers following the influenza vaccine (P<.05).

Although Graat et al found that vitamin E did not . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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