Foods rich in vitamin D.
In the antecedent study of tested individuals COVID-19, Vitamin D levels above traditionally considered adequate were associated with a lower risk of COVID-19.
A new research study at University of Chicago Physicians have found that when it comes to COVID-19, traditionally considered adequate levels of vitamin D can reduce the risk of infection, especially for black people.
In the study, published today (March 19, 2021) JAMA Open Network, Pre-briefly examined the relationship between vitamin D levels and the likelihood of a positive test for COVID-19. While levels of n0 ng / ml or higher are generally considered “sufficient”, the authors found that black individuals who had levels of 300 to n0 ng / ml had a higher risk of testing positive for COVD-1 compared to those with levels 3. .64 times higher. 40 ng / ml or more. A statistically significant association of vitamin D levels with covid-19 risk has not been found in white people. The study looked at data from more than 20,000,000 USCAGO medicine patients who tested their vitamin D levels within 14 days of a COVID-19 test.
The research team is now recruiting participants for two different clinical trials to test the effectiveness of vitamin D supplements to prevent COVID-19.
This research is an extension of previous studies showing that vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng / ml) increases the risk of a positive test for COVD-19. In the current study, those results were further supported, with a person with vitamin D deficiency having a 7.2% chance of testing positive for the virus. A separate study recently found that 80% of patients diagnosed with COVD-19 had vitamin D deficiency.
“These new results tell us that having higher levels of vitamin D than normally considered people is associated with a positive risk of testing for a level of KVID-1 for, at least in black individuals,” said David Meltzer, MD, MC, of Hospital Medicine, USA. Chief author and lead author of the study. “These clinical trials support the arguments for designing to test whether vitamin D may be an appropriate intervention to reduce the risk of disease, especially in people of color.”
After seeing an article in early 2020, Meltzer was inspired to investigate whether people with vitamin D deficiency were assigned to receive a vitamin D supplement, which had a much lower rate of viral respiratory infections than those without a supplement. To determine the role that vitamin D levels may play, he decided to examine the data collected in Uchikogo Medicine on COVID-19.
“There’s a lot of literature on vitamin D, much of it focused on bone health, where current standards of adequate vitamin D levels come into play,” Meltzer explained. “But there is also some evidence that vitamin D can improve immune function and reduce inflammation. Yet, the data is relatively inconclusive. Based on these results, we think that previous studies may have given doses that had very little effect on the immune system, even if they were sufficient for bone health. It may be that different levels of vitamin D are sufficient for different functions. “
Vitamin D can be obtained through foods or supplements, or is made by the body through responses to sunlight exposure through the skin. Meltzer noted that most individuals, especially those with darker skin, have lower levels of vitamin D; About half the world’s population is below 30ng / ml. “Lifeguards, surfers, are the type of people who know they have adequate vitamin D levels,” he said. “Most people who live in Chicago in the winter go down the level that is below that.”
While vitamin D supplements are relatively safe to take, excessive intake of vitamin D supplements is associated with hyperkalemia, a condition in which calcium builds up in the bloodstream and causes nausea, vomiting, weakness and frequent urination. If left untreated it can lead to bone pain and kidney stones.
“Currently, adults insist on a dietary allowance for vitamin D for 600 to 800 international units (IU) per day,” Meltzer said. “Taking 1,000,000 IU per day is safe for most people, and the risk of hyperkalemia increases to more than 10,000 IU per day,” said the National Academy of Medicine.
One challenge of this study is that it is currently difficult to determine how vitamin D may support immune function. “This is an observational study,” Meltzer said. “We can see that there is an association between vitamin D levels and the possibility of a Covid-19 diagnosis, but we do not know exactly why, or whether these results are due to vitamin D directly or other related biological factors.”
Evidence suggests that people with vitamin D deficiency test positive for COVID-19 and experience significant symptoms, a team from the University of Chicago and Rush University are conducting two studies to see if taking a daily vitamin D supplement can help. . Stop COVID-19 or reduce the severity of its symptoms.
Individuals who want to learn more about the study and determine their eligibility can visit https: //
Reference: “Association Vitamin F Vitamin D Level, Race / Ethnicity, and COVID-19 Test Results with Clinical Characteristics” by Thomas J. Best, Hui Zhang, Tamara Vox, Vinit M. Aurora and Julian Solvay, 19 March 2021, JAMA network open.
DOI: 10.1001 / jamenetworkpen / 2021.4117
