- A new research has found an association between low/average vitamin D and high number of COVID-19 cases and mortality across 20 European countries.
- The research is led by Dr Lee Smith of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Petre Cristian Ilie, lead urologist of Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.
- According to European Calcified Tissue Society Working Group, serum vitamin D level of less than 30 nmol/L is defined as severe vitamin D deficiency.
- The countries with high number of COVID-19 cases like Spain and Italy shows low level of vitamin D than northern European countries.
- The level of vitamin D decreases in old people due to decreased exposure to sun and cutaneous synthesis. Old population are the most vulnerable group of population for COVID-19.
- Vitamin D play important role to boost our immune system. Low level of vitamin D is also associated with susceptibility to acute respiratory tract infections. Vitamin D prevent release of inflammatory cytokines and COVID-19 is associated with release of excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines.
- The protective action of vitamin D in acute respiratory infection is already proved. Vitamin D supplementation in patients with acute respiratory infection is found to be safe and effective
- Thus, it is hypothesized that vitamin D might play a vital protective role in COVID-19 and further detailed research is required in this.
References
Ilie PC, Stefanescu S, Smith L. The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2020 May 6.