Review the Research
Get summaries of key research on vitamin D and COVID-19
The Impact of Vitamin D Status on COVID-19 Severity among Hospitalized Patients in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Take Home Message
Results
- No statistically significant was shown for ICU admission [Odd Ratio, OR 1.25 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.41–3.88) p = 0.70], Mechanical Ventilation support [Odd Ratio, OR 3.12 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.74–13.21) p = 0.12] and mortality [Odd Ratio, OR 2.39 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.31–18.11), p = 0.40].

Who
197 COVID-19 patients admitted at King Faisal Hospital, Al Noor Specialist Hospital in Makkah, and at Complex King Faisal Hospital in Taif in the Westering region of Saudi Arabia (SA) between June and August 2020.
Things to Keep in Mind
- This is a small retrospective study using just 197 subjects. Selection bias may impact results
- The researchers adjusted for certain confounders such as age, gender and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM), hypertension, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, not all potential confounders were controlled for
- Whether or not a patient had received supplementation was not considered
- This was only studied in one country, Saudi Arabia
Author’s Conclusions
“
In conclusion, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high among COVID-19 patients in the Western region of SA. The lack of association was detected in the present study between serum vitamin D and severity of COVID-19, including ICU admission, intubation, mortality, and days of hospitalization. Further large randomized control tail studies covering multiple institutions are needed to determine the therapeutic effect of vitamin D supplementation on COVID-19 severity
“
Study Design
- This was a retrospective, multicenter observational study conducted to investigate the impact of vitamin D status on the severity of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in terms of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, Mechanical Ventilation (MV) support, length of hospital stays, and mortality in the Western region of Saudi Arabia.
Reference
Bushnaq T, Algethami F, Qadhi A, et al. The Impact of Vitamin D Status on COVID-19 Severity among Hospitalized Patients in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1901. Published 2022 Feb 8. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031901