Review the Research
Get summaries of key research on vitamin D and COVID-19
Association of Vitamin D Status and COVID-19-Related Hospitalization and Mortality
Take Home Message
Vitamin D deficiency has a significant dose-response relationship with adverse clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection, including hospitalization and mortality.
Results
-
- 14.5% had vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/dl).
- African American patients, patients living in areas of high poverty, and those with alcohol and drug use had the highest risk for low vitamin D levels.
- There is a significant inverse relationship between vitamin D concentrations and COVID-19 related hospitalization.
- Patients with lower vitamin D concentrations, increases in vitamin D are associated with larger reductions in probability for hospitalization than among those with higher vitamin D concentrations.
- COVID patients with a vitamin D level of 15 ng/ml compared to 40 ng/ml had a 20% greater with of hospitalization.
- COVID patients with a vitamin D level of 15 ng/ml compared to 40 ng/ml had a 53% increased risk of mortality.
Who
Veterans enrolled in the VA health care systems across the US that tested for COVID-19 (71,175 patients). 4,599 patients had vitamin D levels tested within 15-90 days of their COVID-19 tests.
Things to Keep in Mind
This is a straightforward chart review and comparison, but it should be noted that these patients were all hospitalized which one can assume means these were the worst cases, and we don’t know about health conditions not reviewed in the study that might increase risk and severity of symptoms or might influence vitamin D status.
Author’s Conclusions
“
Continuous blood 25(OH)D concentrations are independently associated with COVID-19-related hospitalization and mortality in an inverse dose-response relationship in this large racially and ethnically diverse cohort of VA patients. Randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on COVID-19-related outcomes.
“
Study Design
- Retrospective Cohort Study
Research Summaries
Low Vitamin D Levels are Associated with Long COVID Syndrome in COVID-19 Survivors
Low Vitamin D Levels are Associated with Long COVID Syndrome in COVID-19 Survivors Take Home Message This study, conducted in Italy, found that patients with long COVID symptoms, and in particular
Association Between Vitamin D Supplementation and COVID-19 Infection and Mortality
Association Between Vitamin D Supplementation and COVID-19 Infection and Mortality Take Home Message Among VA (Veterans Administration) patients, vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection
Vitamin D Status and Severity of COVID-19
Vitamin D Status and Severity of COVID-19 Take Home Message In this Danish observational study of 447 COVID-19 patients, deficient vitamin D levels were associated with an elevated risk of progressing