Review the Research<\/p>\n
Get summaries of key research on vitamin D and COVID-19<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nAssociation of Vitamin D Status and Other Clinical Characteristics With COVID-19 Test Results<\/span><\/span><\/h1><\/div>Take Home Message<\/h2><\/div>In this cohort study of 489<\/span> patients who had a vitamin D level<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>measured in the year before COVID-19<\/span> testing, the relative risk of testing<\/span> positive for COVID-19 was 1.77 times<\/span> greater for patients with likely deficient<\/span> vitamin D status compared with patients<\/span> to<\/span> those with un<\/span>likely sufficient vitamin D status, a<\/span> difference that was <\/span>statistically<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>significant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Who<\/h2><\/div>Of 4314 patients tested for COVID-19 during the study period, a total of 489 patients (mean age, 49.2 <\/span>\u00b1<\/span> 18.4<\/span> years; 366 [75%] women; and 331<\/span> [68%] race other than White) had a vitamin D level measured in the year before COVID-19 testing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Length of Study<\/h2><\/div>COVID-19 <\/span><\/span>testing <\/span><\/span>between March 3, <\/span>2020<\/span> and April 10, 2020<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Results<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- One hundred and seventy-two (35%) <\/span>individuals <\/span>had vitamin D deficiency.<\/span> Compared with patients who were not vitamin D deficient, patients<\/span> w<\/span>ho<\/span> were vitamin D deficient<\/span> were more likely to be younger (age 45.9 years vs 51.0 years<\/span>)<\/span>,<\/span> race other than White (142 of 172 [83%] vs 189 of 317 [60%]), and <\/span>to have <\/span>receive<\/span>d <\/span>vitamin D2<\/span> supplementation<\/span> (44<\/span> o<\/span>f 172 [26%] vs 32 of 317 [10%]) and less likely to <\/span>have <\/span>receive<\/span>d<\/span> vitamin D3<\/span> supplementation <\/span>(45 of 172 [26%] vs 148<\/span> of 317 [47%]).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Combining vitamin D deficiency and treatment after the most recent vitamin D level to assess<\/span> vitamin D status before COVID-19 testing, 124 (25%) patients were likely deficient, 287 (59%) were<\/span> likely sufficient, and 48 (10%) and 30 (6%) were in the 2 groups with uncertain deficiency.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Overall, 71 (15%) participants tested positive for COVID-19.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Among the 172 (35%) participants whose<\/span> most recent vitamin D level was deficient, 32 (19%) tested positive for COVID-19 compared with 39<\/span> (12%) for participants whose last vitamin D level was not deficient<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Patients with likely deficient vitamin D status at the time of COVID-19 testing had an<\/span> increased relative risk of testing positive for COVID-19 (relative risk, 1.77; 95%CI, 1.12-2.81; P = .02)<\/span> compared with patients with likely sufficient status at the time of COVID-19 testing, for an estimated<\/span> mean rate in the deficient group of 21.6%<\/span> (95%CI, 14.0%-29.2%) vs 12.2%<\/span> (95%CI, 8.9%-15.4%) in<\/span> the sufficient group<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/vitamindandme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/07Meltzer-iStock-1254958282.jpg\")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Things to Keep in Mind<\/h2><\/div>\n- C<\/span>ausality in the association between vitamin D status and the risk of COVID-19<\/span> cannot be concluded from a retrospective study.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- V<\/span>itamin D deficiency<\/span> may be a consequence associated with a range<\/span> of chronic health conditions or behavioral factors that plausibly increase COVID-19 risk.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- D<\/span>ata <\/span>was<\/span> limited to those available in the UCM electronic health record.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- O<\/span>nly a few individuals received higher doses of vitamin D3 or had <\/span>relative<\/span>ly<\/span><\/li>\n
- h<\/span>igh vitamin D levels, limiting power to assess whether vitamin D dose or levels are<\/span> associated with<\/span> the likelihood of COVID-19<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- The patient s<\/span>ample is enriched<\/span> in persons with vitamin D deficiency because of the large number of African American individuals,<\/span> adults with chronic illness, and health care workers, all living in a northern city and exposed to<\/span> COVID-19 during winter. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the US but could be a smaller risk<\/span> factor in other populations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>”<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>The findings of this study suggest a role of vitamin D status, based on deficiency of levels and<\/span><\/span> treatment, in risk of COVID-19 infection. Randomized clinical trials of interventions to reduce vitamin<\/span><\/span> D deficiency are needed to determine if those interventions could reduce COVID-19 incidence,<\/span><\/span> including both broad population interventions and interventions among groups at increased risk of<\/span><\/span> vitamin D deficiency and\/or COVID-19.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>”<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Study Design<\/h2><\/div>\n- This is a <\/span>retrospective cohort study <\/span>conducted <\/span>at an urban academi<\/span>c <\/span>medical center <\/span>(University of Chicago Medicine).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- E<\/span>lectronic health record<\/span>s were used<\/span> to gather <\/span>demographic, comorbidity, laboratory, and medication<\/span> data within 1 year before the date of their first COVID-19 test.<\/span> Age, sex<\/span>,<\/span> race\/ethnicity<\/span>, and data to calculate BMI<\/span> were also obtained from the electronic health record<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- COVID-19 test status was determined by any positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction<\/span> test result<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Patients were deemed to be<\/span> vitamin D deficient if their most recent serum vitamin D levels within 1 year before their first<\/span> COVID-19 tests were<\/span> <<\/span> 50<\/span> n<\/span>mol<\/span>\/L for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or <\/span>
Association of Vitamin D Status and Other Clinical Characteristics With COVID-19 Test Results<\/span><\/span><\/h1><\/div>Take Home Message<\/h2><\/div>In this cohort study of 489<\/span> patients who had a vitamin D level<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>measured in the year before COVID-19<\/span> testing, the relative risk of testing<\/span> positive for COVID-19 was 1.77 times<\/span> greater for patients with likely deficient<\/span> vitamin D status compared with patients<\/span> to<\/span> those with un<\/span>likely sufficient vitamin D status, a<\/span> difference that was <\/span>statistically<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>significant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Who<\/h2><\/div>Of 4314 patients tested for COVID-19 during the study period, a total of 489 patients (mean age, 49.2 <\/span>\u00b1<\/span> 18.4<\/span> years; 366 [75%] women; and 331<\/span> [68%] race other than White) had a vitamin D level measured in the year before COVID-19 testing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Length of Study<\/h2><\/div>COVID-19 <\/span><\/span>testing <\/span><\/span>between March 3, <\/span>2020<\/span> and April 10, 2020<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Results<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- One hundred and seventy-two (35%) <\/span>individuals <\/span>had vitamin D deficiency.<\/span> Compared with patients who were not vitamin D deficient, patients<\/span> w<\/span>ho<\/span> were vitamin D deficient<\/span> were more likely to be younger (age 45.9 years vs 51.0 years<\/span>)<\/span>,<\/span> race other than White (142 of 172 [83%] vs 189 of 317 [60%]), and <\/span>to have <\/span>receive<\/span>d <\/span>vitamin D2<\/span> supplementation<\/span> (44<\/span> o<\/span>f 172 [26%] vs 32 of 317 [10%]) and less likely to <\/span>have <\/span>receive<\/span>d<\/span> vitamin D3<\/span> supplementation <\/span>(45 of 172 [26%] vs 148<\/span> of 317 [47%]).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Combining vitamin D deficiency and treatment after the most recent vitamin D level to assess<\/span> vitamin D status before COVID-19 testing, 124 (25%) patients were likely deficient, 287 (59%) were<\/span> likely sufficient, and 48 (10%) and 30 (6%) were in the 2 groups with uncertain deficiency.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Overall, 71 (15%) participants tested positive for COVID-19.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Among the 172 (35%) participants whose<\/span> most recent vitamin D level was deficient, 32 (19%) tested positive for COVID-19 compared with 39<\/span> (12%) for participants whose last vitamin D level was not deficient<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Patients with likely deficient vitamin D status at the time of COVID-19 testing had an<\/span> increased relative risk of testing positive for COVID-19 (relative risk, 1.77; 95%CI, 1.12-2.81; P = .02)<\/span> compared with patients with likely sufficient status at the time of COVID-19 testing, for an estimated<\/span> mean rate in the deficient group of 21.6%<\/span> (95%CI, 14.0%-29.2%) vs 12.2%<\/span> (95%CI, 8.9%-15.4%) in<\/span> the sufficient group<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Things to Keep in Mind<\/h2><\/div>\n- C<\/span>ausality in the association between vitamin D status and the risk of COVID-19<\/span> cannot be concluded from a retrospective study.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- V<\/span>itamin D deficiency<\/span> may be a consequence associated with a range<\/span> of chronic health conditions or behavioral factors that plausibly increase COVID-19 risk.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- D<\/span>ata <\/span>was<\/span> limited to those available in the UCM electronic health record.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- O<\/span>nly a few individuals received higher doses of vitamin D3 or had <\/span>relative<\/span>ly<\/span><\/li>\n
- h<\/span>igh vitamin D levels, limiting power to assess whether vitamin D dose or levels are<\/span> associated with<\/span> the likelihood of COVID-19<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- The patient s<\/span>ample is enriched<\/span> in persons with vitamin D deficiency because of the large number of African American individuals,<\/span> adults with chronic illness, and health care workers, all living in a northern city and exposed to<\/span> COVID-19 during winter. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the US but could be a smaller risk<\/span> factor in other populations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>”<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>The findings of this study suggest a role of vitamin D status, based on deficiency of levels and<\/span><\/span> treatment, in risk of COVID-19 infection. Randomized clinical trials of interventions to reduce vitamin<\/span><\/span> D deficiency are needed to determine if those interventions could reduce COVID-19 incidence,<\/span><\/span> including both broad population interventions and interventions among groups at increased risk of<\/span><\/span> vitamin D deficiency and\/or COVID-19.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>”<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Study Design<\/h2><\/div>\n- This is a <\/span>retrospective cohort study <\/span>conducted <\/span>at an urban academi<\/span>c <\/span>medical center <\/span>(University of Chicago Medicine).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- E<\/span>lectronic health record<\/span>s were used<\/span> to gather <\/span>demographic, comorbidity, laboratory, and medication<\/span> data within 1 year before the date of their first COVID-19 test.<\/span> Age, sex<\/span>,<\/span> race\/ethnicity<\/span>, and data to calculate BMI<\/span> were also obtained from the electronic health record<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- COVID-19 test status was determined by any positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction<\/span> test result<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Patients were deemed to be<\/span> vitamin D deficient if their most recent serum vitamin D levels within 1 year before their first<\/span> COVID-19 tests were<\/span> <<\/span> 50<\/span> n<\/span>mol<\/span>\/L for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or <\/span>
Take Home Message<\/h2><\/div>In this cohort study of 489<\/span> patients who had a vitamin D level<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>measured in the year before COVID-19<\/span> testing, the relative risk of testing<\/span> positive for COVID-19 was 1.77 times<\/span> greater for patients with likely deficient<\/span> vitamin D status compared with patients<\/span> to<\/span> those with un<\/span>likely sufficient vitamin D status, a<\/span> difference that was <\/span>statistically<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>significant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Who<\/h2><\/div>Of 4314 patients tested for COVID-19 during the study period, a total of 489 patients (mean age, 49.2 <\/span>\u00b1<\/span> 18.4<\/span> years; 366 [75%] women; and 331<\/span> [68%] race other than White) had a vitamin D level measured in the year before COVID-19 testing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Length of Study<\/h2><\/div>COVID-19 <\/span><\/span>testing <\/span><\/span>between March 3, <\/span>2020<\/span> and April 10, 2020<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Results<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- One hundred and seventy-two (35%) <\/span>individuals <\/span>had vitamin D deficiency.<\/span> Compared with patients who were not vitamin D deficient, patients<\/span> w<\/span>ho<\/span> were vitamin D deficient<\/span> were more likely to be younger (age 45.9 years vs 51.0 years<\/span>)<\/span>,<\/span> race other than White (142 of 172 [83%] vs 189 of 317 [60%]), and <\/span>to have <\/span>receive<\/span>d <\/span>vitamin D2<\/span> supplementation<\/span> (44<\/span> o<\/span>f 172 [26%] vs 32 of 317 [10%]) and less likely to <\/span>have <\/span>receive<\/span>d<\/span> vitamin D3<\/span> supplementation <\/span>(45 of 172 [26%] vs 148<\/span> of 317 [47%]).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Combining vitamin D deficiency and treatment after the most recent vitamin D level to assess<\/span> vitamin D status before COVID-19 testing, 124 (25%) patients were likely deficient, 287 (59%) were<\/span> likely sufficient, and 48 (10%) and 30 (6%) were in the 2 groups with uncertain deficiency.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Overall, 71 (15%) participants tested positive for COVID-19.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Among the 172 (35%) participants whose<\/span> most recent vitamin D level was deficient, 32 (19%) tested positive for COVID-19 compared with 39<\/span> (12%) for participants whose last vitamin D level was not deficient<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Patients with likely deficient vitamin D status at the time of COVID-19 testing had an<\/span> increased relative risk of testing positive for COVID-19 (relative risk, 1.77; 95%CI, 1.12-2.81; P = .02)<\/span> compared with patients with likely sufficient status at the time of COVID-19 testing, for an estimated<\/span> mean rate in the deficient group of 21.6%<\/span> (95%CI, 14.0%-29.2%) vs 12.2%<\/span> (95%CI, 8.9%-15.4%) in<\/span> the sufficient group<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Things to Keep in Mind<\/h2><\/div>\n- C<\/span>ausality in the association between vitamin D status and the risk of COVID-19<\/span> cannot be concluded from a retrospective study.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- V<\/span>itamin D deficiency<\/span> may be a consequence associated with a range<\/span> of chronic health conditions or behavioral factors that plausibly increase COVID-19 risk.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- D<\/span>ata <\/span>was<\/span> limited to those available in the UCM electronic health record.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- O<\/span>nly a few individuals received higher doses of vitamin D3 or had <\/span>relative<\/span>ly<\/span><\/li>\n
- h<\/span>igh vitamin D levels, limiting power to assess whether vitamin D dose or levels are<\/span> associated with<\/span> the likelihood of COVID-19<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- The patient s<\/span>ample is enriched<\/span> in persons with vitamin D deficiency because of the large number of African American individuals,<\/span> adults with chronic illness, and health care workers, all living in a northern city and exposed to<\/span> COVID-19 during winter. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the US but could be a smaller risk<\/span> factor in other populations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>”<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>The findings of this study suggest a role of vitamin D status, based on deficiency of levels and<\/span><\/span> treatment, in risk of COVID-19 infection. Randomized clinical trials of interventions to reduce vitamin<\/span><\/span> D deficiency are needed to determine if those interventions could reduce COVID-19 incidence,<\/span><\/span> including both broad population interventions and interventions among groups at increased risk of<\/span><\/span> vitamin D deficiency and\/or COVID-19.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>”<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Study Design<\/h2><\/div>\n- This is a <\/span>retrospective cohort study <\/span>conducted <\/span>at an urban academi<\/span>c <\/span>medical center <\/span>(University of Chicago Medicine).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- E<\/span>lectronic health record<\/span>s were used<\/span> to gather <\/span>demographic, comorbidity, laboratory, and medication<\/span> data within 1 year before the date of their first COVID-19 test.<\/span> Age, sex<\/span>,<\/span> race\/ethnicity<\/span>, and data to calculate BMI<\/span> were also obtained from the electronic health record<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- COVID-19 test status was determined by any positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction<\/span> test result<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Patients were deemed to be<\/span> vitamin D deficient if their most recent serum vitamin D levels within 1 year before their first<\/span> COVID-19 tests were<\/span> <<\/span> 50<\/span> n<\/span>mol<\/span>\/L for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or <\/span>
In this cohort study of 489<\/span> patients who had a vitamin D level<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>measured in the year before COVID-19<\/span> testing, the relative risk of testing<\/span> positive for COVID-19 was 1.77 times<\/span> greater for patients with likely deficient<\/span> vitamin D status compared with patients<\/span> to<\/span> those with un<\/span>likely sufficient vitamin D status, a<\/span> difference that was <\/span>statistically<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>significant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Of 4314 patients tested for COVID-19 during the study period, a total of 489 patients (mean age, 49.2 <\/span>\u00b1<\/span> 18.4<\/span> years; 366 [75%] women; and 331<\/span> [68%] race other than White) had a vitamin D level measured in the year before COVID-19 testing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> COVID-19 <\/span><\/span>testing <\/span><\/span>between March 3, <\/span>2020<\/span> and April 10, 2020<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> The findings of this study suggest a role of vitamin D status, based on deficiency of levels and<\/span><\/span> treatment, in risk of COVID-19 infection. Randomized clinical trials of interventions to reduce vitamin<\/span><\/span> D deficiency are needed to determine if those interventions could reduce COVID-19 incidence,<\/span><\/span> including both broad population interventions and interventions among groups at increased risk of<\/span><\/span> vitamin D deficiency and\/or COVID-19.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Who<\/h2><\/div>
Length of Study<\/h2><\/div>
Results<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Things to Keep in Mind<\/h2><\/div>
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Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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”<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Study Design<\/h2><\/div>
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