Is Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level Associated with Severity of COVID-19? A Retrospective Study

J Clin Med. 2023 Aug 25;12(17):5520. doi: 10.3390/jcm12175520.

Abstract

(1) Background: SARS-COV2 infection has a clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic infection to COVID-19 with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Although vitamin D deficiency is often found in patients with ARDS, its role in COVID-19 is not clear. The aim of this study was to explore a possible association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the severity of COVID-19 in hospitalised patients. (2) Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analysed data from 763 patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. Patients were included in the study if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was assessed 30 days before or after hospital admission. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as <50 nmol/L (<20 ng/mL). The primary outcome was COVID-19 severity. (3) Results: The overall median serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 54 nmol/L (IQR 35-76); 47% of the patients were vitamin D deficient. Most patients had mild to moderate COVID-19 and no differences were observed between vitamin D deficient and non-deficient patients (81% vs. 84% of patients, respectively p = 0.829). (4) Conclusion: No association was found between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and COVID-19 severity in this large observational study conducted over 2 years of the pandemic.

Keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; COVID-19; COVID-19 severity; acute respiratory distress syndrome; retrospective study; vitamin D deficiency.

Grants and funding

This project was financed by the research fund of sponsor–investigator Jörg D. Leuppi, who is supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF 160072 and 185592) as well as by Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN 2018DR108).