New research from Northwestern University found strong link between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 mortality rates.
Global data from the coronavirus pandemic revealed a correlation between low levels of vitamin D deficiency and mortality rates due to the COVID-19.
The researchers examined a statistical analysis of data from hospitals and clinics in several countries. These are Germany, Iran, China, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the US.
Findings showed that patients from countries with high COVID-19 mortality rates, such as Spain, Italy, and the UK, reported insufficiency of vitamin D compared to patients in countries that were not as heavily affected.
However, researchers warn the public that the results do not mean everyone must 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 and a Walter Dill Scott Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering.
"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 results are posted on medRxiv, a preprint server for health sciences.
COVID-19 mortality rates
The varying COVID-19 mortality rates in different countries motivated Backman and his team to examine vitamin D levels among patients.
While factors such as healthcare quality, testing rates, age distributions in population, or different strains of the virus could affect the differences, Backman remained curious.
"None of these factors appears to play a significant role," Backman said. "The healthcare system in northern Italy is one of the best in the world. Differences in mortality exist even if one looks across the same age group. And, while the restrictions on testing do indeed vary, the disparities in mortality still exist even when we looked at countries or populations for which similar testing rates apply.
"Instead, we saw a significant correlation with vitamin D deficiency," he said.
COVID-19 complications
The team, after evaluating patient data worldwide, detected a link between vitamin D levels and cytokine storm. Cytokine storm refers to a hyperinflammatory condition triggered by an overactive immune system. There is also a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and mortality.
"Cytokine storm can severely damage lungs and lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death in patients," Daneshkhah said.
"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."
Their findings suggest that vitamin D can boost innate immune systems and prevent them from being dangerously overactive. Moreover, adequate levels of vitamin D could reduce severe complications in patients from COVID-19, including death.
"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."
"It is hard to say which dose is most beneficial for COVID-19," Backman said. "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."
