Vitamin D Insufficiency and Deficiency and Mortality from Respiratory Diseases in a Cohort of Older Adults: Potential for Limiting the Death Toll during and beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Nutrients 2020, 12(8), 2488; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082488
Approx 8X less likely to die of respiratory problems if 50 ng vs 10 ng
Hermann Brenner 1,2,3,4,*OrcID,Bernd Holleczek 1,5 and Ben Schöttker 1,4OrcID
- 1 Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, Germany Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
- 2 Division of Preventive Oncology, Germany Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- 3 German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Germany Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- 4 Network Aging Research, University of Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- 5 Saarland Cancer Registry, 66119 Saarbrücken, Germany
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The COVID-19 pandemic goes along with increased mortality from acute respiratory disease. It has been suggested that vitamin D3 supplementation might help to reduce respiratory disease mortality. We assessed the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency, defined by 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) blood levels of 30–50 and <30 nmol/L, respectively, and their association with mortality from respiratory diseases during 15 years of follow-up in a cohort of 9548 adults aged 50–75 years from Saarland, Germany. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were common (44% and 15%, respectively).
Compared to those with sufficient vitamin D status, participants with vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency had strongly increased respiratory mortality, with adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of
- 2.1 (1.3–3.2) and 3.0 (1.8–5.2) overall,
- 4.3 (1.3–14.4) and 8.5 (2.4–30.1) among women, and
- 1.9 (1.1–3.2) and 2.3 (1.1–4.4) among men.
Overall, 41% (95% confidence interval: 20–58%) of respiratory disease mortality was statistically attributable to vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency.
Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common and account for a large proportion of respiratory disease mortality in older adults, supporting the hypothesis that vitamin D3 supplementation could be helpful to limit the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women.
See also Vitamin D Life
Breathing category starts with the following
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41 items along with related searches - Air Pollution reduces Vitamin D
- Note: Air Pollution reduces UVB and keeps people indoors, both reduce Vitamin D
- Smoking reduces vitamin D
Supplementing with Vitamin D will improve the health of smokers and might decease craving- Overviews at Vitamin D Life:
Allergy Lung Cancer TB Asthma Influenza Colds and flu Pneumonia Respiratory infectionsAll of the studies in both Breathing and Intervention categories:
- Those with Asthma or COPD had half the response to Vitamin D – March 2020
- Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Infants reduced 5.9 X by daily 600 IU of vitamin D (China) - March 2020
- Hay Fever treated by Vitamin D (50,000 IU weekly) – RCT July 2019
- COPD trial to use 80,000 IU of vitamin D weekly – RCT 2021
- Allergic Rhinitis in infants treated by 1,000 IU vitamin D daily – June 2019
- Childhood colds reduced 25 percent by weekly Vitamin D – RCT Jan 2019
- All asthma problems reduced after 1 year of Vitamin D – Nov 2017
- Asthma treated by daily 50,000 IU of Vitamin D – April 2018
- Childhood Respiratory Health hardly improved with 600 IU of vitamin D (need much more) – May 2018
- Allergic rhinitis in children reduced somewhat during pollen season by just 1,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Jan 2018
- Influenza risk reduced 2X by 2,000 IU of Vitamin D (vs 400), RTI reduced 3X by 400 or more IU – July 2017
- Half the risk of Influenza -A in infants taking 1200 IU of vitamin D for 4 months – RCT Jan 2018
- Risk of infant Asthma cut in half if mother supplemented Vitamin D to get more than 30 ng – RCT Oct 2017
- Childhood asthma problems eliminated for months by 600,000 IU of Vitamin D injection – June 2017
- Reduction of infant asthma may require good vitamin D when lung development starts (4 weeks) – March 2017
- Monthly 100,000 IU of vitamin D decreased respiratory infection but increased falls – Nov 2016
- RTI – Feel much better if increase vitamin D level above 40 ng (4000 IU) – RCT Sept 2015
- Five times less mite allergy when vitamin D added in mid pregnancy and to infant – RCT April 2016
- Childhood asthma still reduced 4 months after 800 IU of Vitamin D daily - RCT Feb 2016
- Asthma exacerbations with colds reduced by 40 percent with vitamin D supplementation – Nov 2015
- Allergic Rhinitis (hay fever) reduced by just 1,000 IU of vitamin D for 30 days – RCT Sept 2015
- Vitamin D loading dose then weekly 50,000 IU not help (COPD) if very deficient – Oct 2015
- Respiratory tract infection eliminated in 36 percent of people by 4000 IU of Vitamin D – RCT Sept 2015
- COPD reduced by 40 percent with monthly 100,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Jan 2015
- 500,000 IU of vitamin D cut in half the hospital days following a lung failure – RCT 2015
- Respiratory infections cut in half by 20,000 IU weekly vitamin D if initially deficient – RCT March 2015
- Wheezing reduced 35 percent if vitamin D added during pregnancy – April 2015
- 5 days of 100,000 IU of Vitamin D increased hemoglobin in critical illness – RCT April 2015
- Respiratory diseases helped by vitamin D if initially have low level – RCT review Jan 2015
- COPD reduced by vitamin D taken once every 60 days – RCT Dec 2014
- Asthma reduced 60 percent with vitamin D supplementation – meta-analysis 2014, 2015
- Respiratory Tract visits 2.5 less likely with vitamin D: Pregnancy 2000 IU, Infant 800 IU – RCT Oct 2014
- Allergy to House dust mite greatly reduced by adding just 600 IU of vitamin D – RCT Nov 2014
- Asthma reduced by weekly 50,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Aug 2014
- Asthma attacks reduced in half if Vitamin D level higher than 42 nanograms – RCT May 2014
- 2000 IU of vitamin D should improve toddlers health in winter – RCT almost completed Feb 2014
- Bronchial Asthma reduced with 60,000 IU monthly vitamin D – RCT Nov 2013
- COPD Overview
- Respiratory infections reduced by 63 percent with 4000 IU vitamin D daily - RCT Dec 2012
- Just 300 IU daily of vitamin D reduced respiratory infections by 50% – RCT Aug 2012
- Recurrence of child pneumonia delayed by 100000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Oct 2010
- 100000 IU vitamin D monthly helps COPD patients – 3 RCT
All of the studies in both Breathing and Meta-analysis categories (summary of many RCT):
- Acute viral respiratory infections reduced by Vitamin D - overview of 20 reviews - Aug 2020
- Asthmatics less able to breathe if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Nov 2019
- Asthma is 20 percent more likely with a poor Vitamin D Receptor gene – meta-analysis Oct 2019
- Pneumonia 6X more likely if very low vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2019
- Asthma supplementation by Vitamin D (any amount) reduced attacks by 25 percent – meta-analysis April 2019
- Respiratory infections reduced only 20 percent by Vitamin D (ignored dose size, duration, type, etc) – meta-analysis Jan 2019
- Breath better if higher level of Vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2018
- Asthma risk reduced by 67 percent with Vitamin D supplementation if level was initially low– meta-analysis Nov 2017
- Pneumonia patients 3 X more likely to die if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2017
- Acute respiratory tract infections prevented by vitamin D (even when ignoring the dose size – Meta-analysis Feb 2017
- Asthma exacerbations in children decrease by 60 percent with vitamin D supplementation – meta-analysis – 2015
- Vitamin D during pregnancy reduces risk of childhood asthma by 13 percent – meta-analysis Dec 2016
- Childhood asthma about 1.3 times more likely if poor Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis Aug 2016
- COPD 2.8 times more likely to be severe if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Oct 2016
- Lower respiratory tract infections in children associated with Low Vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2016
- Asthma medicines not helped by vitamin D (if only a small amount of D is taken) – meta-analysis Dec 2015
- Asthma not helped by less than 2,000 IU of vitamin D - meta-analysis Aug 2015
- COPD strongly associated with Vitamin D Binding Protein problems – meta-analysis Aug 2015
- COPD severity is associated with Vitamin D deficiency – meta-analyses 2015, 2019
- Infant wheezing 40 percent less likely if mother supplemented with vitamin D, vitamin E, or Zinc – meta-analysis Aug 2015
- Gene makes COPD 2.6X more likely unless get more vitamin D – meta-analysis Dec 2014
- Asthma reduced 60 percent with vitamin D supplementation – meta-analysis 2014, 2015
- Acute Lower Respiratory Infections in Children - associated with low vitamin D – meta-analysis Dec 2014
- Asthma is strongly associated with low vitamin D (but not COPD) – meta-analysis Feb 2014
- Vitamin D and Respiratory Tract Infections – meta-analysis with charts June 2013
- Vitamin D reduces respiratory tract infections by 40 percent– meta-analysis Dec 2012
- Acute respiratory infection treated by vitamin D in 6 of 12 clinical trials – review Nov 2012
All of the studies in both Breathing and Mortality categories:
- Respiratory deaths in seniors – 40 percent are attributable to low vitamin D – Aug 2020
- Vitamin D predicts good health and long life in seniors, review of 20 cohort studies – Oct 2019
- 3 X increased chance of death if have asthma – study of 200,000 people over 10 years – Nov 2012
- Seniors on mechanical ventilation having very low vitamin D died sooner – July 2012
Mortality starts with:
People die sooner if they have low vitamin D
There are207 articles in Mortality category
The Meta-analysis of Mortality and Vitamin D are listed here:- Deaths from many types of Cancer associated with low vitamin D- review of meta-analyses Sept 2020
- People supplemented with Vitamin D had 13 percent fewer Cancer deaths – Meta-analysis of RCT June 2019
- Cancer with low Vitamin D increases Mortality by 13 percent – meta-analysis Feb 2019
- Decreased Vitamin D is associated with dying sooner (70 studies) – meta-analysis Jan 2019
- Prostate Cancer death 40 percent less likely if 40 ng level of vitamin D – Meta-analysis Oct 2018
- Review of meta-analyses of non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D (Mortality, RTI, etc) – July 2017
- Chronic Kidney Disease mortality is 60 percent less likely if good vitamin D – meta-analysis July 2017
- Lung Cancer death 60 percent less likely if high level of vitamin D – 2 meta-analysis 2017
- Breast Cancer Mortality reduced 60 percent if more than 60 ng of Vitamin D – meta-analysis June 2017
- Cardiovascular deaths 12 percent less likely if have 10 ng more vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2017
- ICU patients 30 percent less likely to die if have enough vitamin D – meta-analysis Nov 2016
- Less likely to die if have enough vitamin D - Meta-analysis June 2014
- Cancer survival 4 percent more likely with just a little more vitamin D (4 ng) - meta-analysis July 2014
- Death due to breast cancer reduced 40 percent if high vitamin D – meta-analysis April 2014
- Vitamin D reduces risk of cause specific death, unless it is D2 – meta-analysis BMJ April 2014
- More survive Breast Cancer if more vitamin D – 2X fewer deaths with just 30 ng -meta-analysis March 2014
- Colorectal and Breast Cancer – Vitamin D is associated with fewer deaths – meta-analysis Feb 2014
- Death of women from cancer 24 percent less likely if 20 ng more vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2013
- Chance of dying increases by 25 percent in seniors if low vitamin D – Meta-analysis July 2013
- Breast Cancer survival 2X more likely if vitamin D sufficient – meta-analysis May 2013
- Vitamin D with Calcium reduces mortality by 7 percent – meta-analysis May 2012
- Death rate reduced 8 percent for 8 nanogram more vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2012
- 40 ng Vitamin D perhaps optimal for reduced mortality – Meta-analysis Jan 2012
- Vitamin D3 but not D2 reduces mortality – meta-analysis July 2011
- Vitamin D and mortality a meta-analysis of RCT - 2008
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