Quite Compelling Evidence

Graphics from Liz, thank you Liz,

Does Vitamin D Protect Against COVID-19?

So the evidence is becoming quite compelling

JoAnn E. Manson, Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School

Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Already known about Vit D status

Bone health

Cardiometabolic health

But it may be even more important now than ever

Risk of developing COVID-19 infection and to the severity of the disease

Innate immunity and boosts immune function against viral diseases

Immune-modulating effect

Can lower inflammation

This may be relevant to the respiratory response with COVID – 19 and the cytokine storm

Laboratory (cell-culture) studies

Evidence that patients with respiratory infections tend to have lower blood levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D

Some evidence from COVID-19 patients as well

Eightfold higher risk of having severe COVID illness among those who entered with vitamin D deficiency compared with those who had sufficient vitamin D levels

Supplementation was associated with a significant reduction in respiratory tract infections

12% to 70% reduction of respiratory infection with vitamin D supplementation

So the evidence is becoming quite compelling

Encourage our patients to be outdoors and physically active, while maintaining social distancing

Diet

food labels

fortified dairy products

fortified cereals

fatty fish

sun dried mushrooms

Quite reasonable to consider a vitamin D supplement

RDA, 600-800 IU/daily

But during this period, a multivitamin or supplement containing 1000-2000 IU/daily of vitamin D would be reasonable

Planning a randomized clinical trial, moderate to high doses

In the meantime, it's important to encourage measures that will, on a population-wide basis, reduce the risk for vitamin D deficiency

Dr JoAnn Manson is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School; and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts.