Researchers have discovered a strong correlation between severe vitamin D deficiency and mortality rates after studying global data from the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The research team, led by Northwestern University, conducted a statistical analysis of data collected from hospitals and clinics across China, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, reports Technology Networks.
They noted that patients from countries with high Covid-19 mortality rates were more vitamin D deficient compared to patients in countries that were not as badly affected.
However, the researchers cautioned that this does not mean that everyone - especially those without a known deficiency - needs to start hoarding supplements.
“While I think it is important for people to know that vitamin D deficiency might play a role in mortality, we don’t need to push vitamin D on everybody,” said Northwestern’s Vadim Backman, who led the research.
“This needs further study, and I hope our work will stimulate interest in this area. The data also may illuminate the mechanism of mortality, which, if proven, could lead to new therapeutic targets.”
The research is available on medRxiv, a preprint server for health sciences.
By analyzing publicly available patient data from around the globe, the team discovered a strong correlation between vitamin D levels and cytokine storm - a hyperinflammatory condition caused by an overactive immune system - as well as a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and mortality.
“Cytokine storms can severely damage lungs and lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death in patients,” said Ali Daneshkhah, a postdoctoral research associate in Backman’s laboratory, and the paper’s first author. “This is what seems to kill a majority of Covid-19 patients, not the destruction of the lungs by the virus itself. It is the complications from the misdirected fire from the immune system.”
This is where vitamin D is believed to play a major role. Not only does it enhance our essential immune systems, it also prevents them from becoming dangerously overactive. Having healthy levels of vitamin D could, therefore, protect patients against severe complications, including death, from Covid-19.
“Our analysis shows that it might be as high as cutting the mortality rate in half,” Backman said. “It will not prevent a patient from contracting the virus, but it may reduce complications and prevent death in those who are infected.”
Backman said this correlation might help explain why children are less likely to die from Covid-19.
“Children primarily rely on their innate immune system,” Backman said. “This may explain why their mortality rate is lower.”
Backman also notes that people should not take excessive doses of vitamin D, which might have negative side effects. More research is needed to know how vitamin D could be used most effectively to protect against coronavirus complications, he said.
“It is hard to say which dose is most beneficial for Covid-19. However, it is clear that vitamin D deficiency is harmful, and it can be easily addressed with appropriate supplementation. This might be another key to helping protect vulnerable populations, such as African-American and elderly patients, who have a prevalence of vitamin D deficiency,” added Backman.
