Review the Research<\/p>\n
Get summaries of key research on vitamin D and COVID-19<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nAssociation Between Vitamin D Supplementation and COVID-19 Infection and Mortality<\/h1><\/div>Take Home Message<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Among VA<\/span> (Veterans Adm<\/span>inistration)<\/span> patients, <\/span>vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation<\/span> reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Results<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Patients supplemented with vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 during the pandemic period had an associated 20% and 28% reduction in COVID-19 infection risk relative to untreated controls.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Vitamin D3 supplementation was associated with a 33% lower risk of COVID-19 infection ending in mortality within 30 days. (HR\u2009=\u20090.67, [95% CI 0.59, 0.75]). However, results for vitamin D2 were statistically insignificant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There was a similar associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates for male and female patients supplemented with vitamin D3 during the pandemic period.<\/span><\/li>\n
- A greater associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates for Black patients than white supplemented patients relative to controls was found. The race by treatment interaction was significant. Adjusting for vitamin D serum level did not change the magnitude or significance of the race by treatment interaction.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The associated reduction in COVID-19 infection risk was inversely proportional to vitamin D serum levels. The overall treatment by vitamin D serum level interaction was significant.<\/span><\/li>\n
- At an average daily dosage of 50,000 IU, there was a 49% associated reduction in COVID-19 infections in patients with low serum (0\u201319 ng\/ml) vitamin D levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/www.vitamindandme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/133-Gibbons-300x120.jpg\" "\\"Courageous")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Who<\/span><\/h2><\/div>A<\/span> large cohort of United States military veterans<\/span> receiving vitamin D before the pandemic <\/span>(<\/span>220,265 patients supplemented with vitamin D3, 34,710 supplemented with vitamin D2, and 407,860 untreated patients<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Things to Keep in Mind<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n- There is no way to account for the fact that those taking vitamin D supplements may have been more likely to practice other prevention methods such as washing hands and wearing a mask.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Many individuals early in the pandemic may have been positive but not tested because testing was not as widespread.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There may have been people in the control group taking non-prescription vitamin D, there is no way to ask the subjects since this was a chart review so if it wasn\u2019t reflected in the chart<\/span>,<\/span> it may not have been accounted for.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There is no way to determine if those prescribed the vitamin D actually took the supplement.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The data were collected prior to the development of the vaccine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>Among VA patients, vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%. <\/span>Black veterans receiving supplementation had a larger associated reduction than whites, although both were statistically significant, and the difference was not accounted for by differences in vitamin D serum levels. Patients with low vitamin D levels at baseline benefited more from supplementation than patients with higher serum levels. Finally, patients receiving higher cumulative dosages and higher average daily dosages had a greater associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates than patients receiving lower dosages conditional on similar vitamin D serum levels. The most substantial dose\u2013response relation was found in patients with the lowest vitamin D serum levels. As a widely available, inexpensive, and safe treatment, vitamin D3 could be a helpful tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection and related mortality and reducing racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Our findings are especially relevant to the US population, given that about half of Americans are estimated to have sub-optimal vitamin D serum levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Study Design<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n- A retrospective cohort study of the association between vitamin D3 and D2 supplementation and the probability of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 infection ending in mortality within 30-days in the Department of Veterans Administration (VA) in the United States. Whether patient sex, race, vitamin D serum levels, and cumulative D3 supplementation dosage modified the association was also studied.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Electronic records of VA patients who received supplementation with, ergocalciferol (i.e., vitamin D2), doxercalciferol (i.e., vitamin D2), oral cholecalciferol (i.e., vitamin D3), or calcifediol (i.e., vitamin D3) for a period before the pandemic (i.e., January 1, 2019\u2013December 31, 2020), and during the pandemic (i.e., March 1, 2020\u2013December 31, 2020), were compared to untreated control patients.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Before estimation, treated and control patients were matched one-to-one on their propensity for supplementation separately for vitamin D3 and D2. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate time-to-COVID-19 infection and mortality within 30-days following infection, conditional on supplementation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Subgroup analyses for D3 to determine treatment heterogeneity by race (Black versus white), vitamin D level (0\u201319 ng\/ml, 20\u201339 ng\/ml, and 40\u2009+\u2009ng\/ml of 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), and average daily and cumulative supplementation dosage were conducted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Reference<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Gibbons, J. B., Norton, E. C., McCullough, J. S., Meltzer, D. O., Lavigne, J., Fiedler, V. C., & Gibbons, R. D. (2022). Association between vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 infection and mortality. Scientific reports, 12(1), 19397. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-022-24053-4.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Association Between Vitamin D Supplementation and COVID-19 Infection and Mortality<\/h1><\/div>Take Home Message<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Among VA<\/span> (Veterans Adm<\/span>inistration)<\/span> patients, <\/span>vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation<\/span> reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Results<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Patients supplemented with vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 during the pandemic period had an associated 20% and 28% reduction in COVID-19 infection risk relative to untreated controls.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Vitamin D3 supplementation was associated with a 33% lower risk of COVID-19 infection ending in mortality within 30 days. (HR\u2009=\u20090.67, [95% CI 0.59, 0.75]). However, results for vitamin D2 were statistically insignificant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There was a similar associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates for male and female patients supplemented with vitamin D3 during the pandemic period.<\/span><\/li>\n
- A greater associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates for Black patients than white supplemented patients relative to controls was found. The race by treatment interaction was significant. Adjusting for vitamin D serum level did not change the magnitude or significance of the race by treatment interaction.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The associated reduction in COVID-19 infection risk was inversely proportional to vitamin D serum levels. The overall treatment by vitamin D serum level interaction was significant.<\/span><\/li>\n
- At an average daily dosage of 50,000 IU, there was a 49% associated reduction in COVID-19 infections in patients with low serum (0\u201319 ng\/ml) vitamin D levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Who<\/span><\/h2><\/div>A<\/span> large cohort of United States military veterans<\/span> receiving vitamin D before the pandemic <\/span>(<\/span>220,265 patients supplemented with vitamin D3, 34,710 supplemented with vitamin D2, and 407,860 untreated patients<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Things to Keep in Mind<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n- There is no way to account for the fact that those taking vitamin D supplements may have been more likely to practice other prevention methods such as washing hands and wearing a mask.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Many individuals early in the pandemic may have been positive but not tested because testing was not as widespread.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There may have been people in the control group taking non-prescription vitamin D, there is no way to ask the subjects since this was a chart review so if it wasn\u2019t reflected in the chart<\/span>,<\/span> it may not have been accounted for.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There is no way to determine if those prescribed the vitamin D actually took the supplement.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The data were collected prior to the development of the vaccine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>Among VA patients, vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%. <\/span>Black veterans receiving supplementation had a larger associated reduction than whites, although both were statistically significant, and the difference was not accounted for by differences in vitamin D serum levels. Patients with low vitamin D levels at baseline benefited more from supplementation than patients with higher serum levels. Finally, patients receiving higher cumulative dosages and higher average daily dosages had a greater associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates than patients receiving lower dosages conditional on similar vitamin D serum levels. The most substantial dose\u2013response relation was found in patients with the lowest vitamin D serum levels. As a widely available, inexpensive, and safe treatment, vitamin D3 could be a helpful tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection and related mortality and reducing racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Our findings are especially relevant to the US population, given that about half of Americans are estimated to have sub-optimal vitamin D serum levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Study Design<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n- A retrospective cohort study of the association between vitamin D3 and D2 supplementation and the probability of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 infection ending in mortality within 30-days in the Department of Veterans Administration (VA) in the United States. Whether patient sex, race, vitamin D serum levels, and cumulative D3 supplementation dosage modified the association was also studied.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Electronic records of VA patients who received supplementation with, ergocalciferol (i.e., vitamin D2), doxercalciferol (i.e., vitamin D2), oral cholecalciferol (i.e., vitamin D3), or calcifediol (i.e., vitamin D3) for a period before the pandemic (i.e., January 1, 2019\u2013December 31, 2020), and during the pandemic (i.e., March 1, 2020\u2013December 31, 2020), were compared to untreated control patients.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Before estimation, treated and control patients were matched one-to-one on their propensity for supplementation separately for vitamin D3 and D2. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate time-to-COVID-19 infection and mortality within 30-days following infection, conditional on supplementation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Subgroup analyses for D3 to determine treatment heterogeneity by race (Black versus white), vitamin D level (0\u201319 ng\/ml, 20\u201339 ng\/ml, and 40\u2009+\u2009ng\/ml of 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), and average daily and cumulative supplementation dosage were conducted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Reference<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Gibbons, J. B., Norton, E. C., McCullough, J. S., Meltzer, D. O., Lavigne, J., Fiedler, V. C., & Gibbons, R. D. (2022). Association between vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 infection and mortality. Scientific reports, 12(1), 19397. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-022-24053-4.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Take Home Message<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Among VA<\/span> (Veterans Adm<\/span>inistration)<\/span> patients, <\/span>vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation<\/span> reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Results<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Patients supplemented with vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 during the pandemic period had an associated 20% and 28% reduction in COVID-19 infection risk relative to untreated controls.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Vitamin D3 supplementation was associated with a 33% lower risk of COVID-19 infection ending in mortality within 30 days. (HR\u2009=\u20090.67, [95% CI 0.59, 0.75]). However, results for vitamin D2 were statistically insignificant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There was a similar associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates for male and female patients supplemented with vitamin D3 during the pandemic period.<\/span><\/li>\n
- A greater associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates for Black patients than white supplemented patients relative to controls was found. The race by treatment interaction was significant. Adjusting for vitamin D serum level did not change the magnitude or significance of the race by treatment interaction.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The associated reduction in COVID-19 infection risk was inversely proportional to vitamin D serum levels. The overall treatment by vitamin D serum level interaction was significant.<\/span><\/li>\n
- At an average daily dosage of 50,000 IU, there was a 49% associated reduction in COVID-19 infections in patients with low serum (0\u201319 ng\/ml) vitamin D levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Who<\/span><\/h2><\/div>A<\/span> large cohort of United States military veterans<\/span> receiving vitamin D before the pandemic <\/span>(<\/span>220,265 patients supplemented with vitamin D3, 34,710 supplemented with vitamin D2, and 407,860 untreated patients<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Things to Keep in Mind<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n- There is no way to account for the fact that those taking vitamin D supplements may have been more likely to practice other prevention methods such as washing hands and wearing a mask.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Many individuals early in the pandemic may have been positive but not tested because testing was not as widespread.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There may have been people in the control group taking non-prescription vitamin D, there is no way to ask the subjects since this was a chart review so if it wasn\u2019t reflected in the chart<\/span>,<\/span> it may not have been accounted for.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- There is no way to determine if those prescribed the vitamin D actually took the supplement.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The data were collected prior to the development of the vaccine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>Among VA patients, vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%. <\/span>Black veterans receiving supplementation had a larger associated reduction than whites, although both were statistically significant, and the difference was not accounted for by differences in vitamin D serum levels. Patients with low vitamin D levels at baseline benefited more from supplementation than patients with higher serum levels. Finally, patients receiving higher cumulative dosages and higher average daily dosages had a greater associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates than patients receiving lower dosages conditional on similar vitamin D serum levels. The most substantial dose\u2013response relation was found in patients with the lowest vitamin D serum levels. As a widely available, inexpensive, and safe treatment, vitamin D3 could be a helpful tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection and related mortality and reducing racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Our findings are especially relevant to the US population, given that about half of Americans are estimated to have sub-optimal vitamin D serum levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Study Design<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n- A retrospective cohort study of the association between vitamin D3 and D2 supplementation and the probability of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 infection ending in mortality within 30-days in the Department of Veterans Administration (VA) in the United States. Whether patient sex, race, vitamin D serum levels, and cumulative D3 supplementation dosage modified the association was also studied.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Electronic records of VA patients who received supplementation with, ergocalciferol (i.e., vitamin D2), doxercalciferol (i.e., vitamin D2), oral cholecalciferol (i.e., vitamin D3), or calcifediol (i.e., vitamin D3) for a period before the pandemic (i.e., January 1, 2019\u2013December 31, 2020), and during the pandemic (i.e., March 1, 2020\u2013December 31, 2020), were compared to untreated control patients.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Before estimation, treated and control patients were matched one-to-one on their propensity for supplementation separately for vitamin D3 and D2. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate time-to-COVID-19 infection and mortality within 30-days following infection, conditional on supplementation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Subgroup analyses for D3 to determine treatment heterogeneity by race (Black versus white), vitamin D level (0\u201319 ng\/ml, 20\u201339 ng\/ml, and 40\u2009+\u2009ng\/ml of 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), and average daily and cumulative supplementation dosage were conducted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Reference<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Gibbons, J. B., Norton, E. C., McCullough, J. S., Meltzer, D. O., Lavigne, J., Fiedler, V. C., & Gibbons, R. D. (2022). Association between vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 infection and mortality. Scientific reports, 12(1), 19397. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-022-24053-4.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Among VA<\/span> (Veterans Adm<\/span>inistration)<\/span> patients, <\/span>vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation<\/span> reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> A<\/span> large cohort of United States military veterans<\/span> receiving vitamin D before the pandemic <\/span>(<\/span>220,265 patients supplemented with vitamin D3, 34,710 supplemented with vitamin D2, and 407,860 untreated patients<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Among VA patients, vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%. <\/span>Black veterans receiving supplementation had a larger associated reduction than whites, although both were statistically significant, and the difference was not accounted for by differences in vitamin D serum levels. Patients with low vitamin D levels at baseline benefited more from supplementation than patients with higher serum levels. Finally, patients receiving higher cumulative dosages and higher average daily dosages had a greater associated reduction in COVID-19 infection rates than patients receiving lower dosages conditional on similar vitamin D serum levels. The most substantial dose\u2013response relation was found in patients with the lowest vitamin D serum levels. As a widely available, inexpensive, and safe treatment, vitamin D3 could be a helpful tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection and related mortality and reducing racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Our findings are especially relevant to the US population, given that about half of Americans are estimated to have sub-optimal vitamin D serum levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Gibbons, J. B., Norton, E. C., McCullough, J. S., Meltzer, D. O., Lavigne, J., Fiedler, V. C., & Gibbons, R. D. (2022). Association between vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 infection and mortality. Scientific reports, 12(1), 19397. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-022-24053-4.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Results<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Who<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
Things to Keep in Mind<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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Author\u2019s Conclusions<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>
“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>
“<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Study Design<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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Reference<\/span><\/h2><\/div>