82% of Covid patients had vitamin D deficiency
Researchers at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, in Santander, Spain, compared the vitamin D levels of 216 patients with the coronavirus and admitted to the Santander hospital between March 10 and March 31, 2020 to that of 197 patients spread across the country and from a test group.
The results show that nearly 82% of patients hospitalized for Covid-19 cases had vitamin D deficiency compared to only 47% in individuals in the test group. They also noticed that the vitamin D deficiency was greater in men than in women. In addition, patients who received vitamin D supplements in the three months prior to hospitalization had better results. They were also less numerous in intensive care.
Finally, the authors of the study reveal that “ Patients with vitamin D-deficient COVID-19 had a higher prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, elevated serum ferritin and troponin levels, and longer hospital stays than those with serum levels of 25OHD was ≥ 20 ng / mthe “.
What should we conclude from this?
According to Jose Hernandez, co-author of the study and doctor of neurophysiology at the University of Cantabria: “ Vitamin D therapy should be recommended when the patient is deficient. This approach can have beneficial effects both on the musculoskeletal system, but also on the immune system. “.
However, one should not draw hasty conclusions about the role of this vitamin in the face of the disease. The study thus recalls: ” No cause and effect relationship was found between vitamin D deficiency and the severity of COVID-19 as a combined endpoint or as separate components “.
This is why some experts prefer to remain cautious while waiting for more evidence on the subject. A study has just been launched in England to verify the usefulness of vitamin D in the face of Covid-19. Named CORONAVIT, the study will make it possible to analyze 5,000 people who will receive vitamin D-based treatments for six months in order to analyze their resistance to the virus.
In any case, it is good to remember that like any dietary supplement, overdose of vitamin D can cause many unwanted and dangerous effects on health.
