Retrospective 230 hospitalized COVID‑19 patients in Spain, showing lower mortality with calcifediol treatment (p = 0.053).
Meta analysis shows that late stage treatment with
calcitriol / calcifediol (or
paricalcitol, alfacalcidol, etc.) is more effective than
cholecalciferol:
66% [47‑78%] lower risk vs.
42% [31‑52%] lower risk.
Cholecalciferol requires two hydroxylation steps to become activated - first
in the liver to calcifediol, then in the kidney to calcitriol. Calcitriol,
paricalcitol, and alfacalcidol are active vitamin D analogs that do not
require conversion. This allows them to have more rapid onset of action
compared to cholecalciferol. The time delay for cholecalciferol to increase
serum calcifediol levels can be 2-3 days, and the delay for converting
calcifediol to active calcitriol can be up to 7 days.
, which show efficacy with
p=0.0000032.
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risk of death, 52.4% lower, OR 0.48, p = 0.05, treatment 119, control 111, adjusted per study, all patients, multivariable, RR approximated with OR.
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risk of death, 95.4% lower, OR 0.05, p = 0.004, treatment 16, control 18, severely deficient patients, RR approximated with OR.
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risk of death, 38.5% lower, RR 0.62, p = 0.19, treatment 8 of 65 (12.3%), control 33 of 165 (20.0%), NNT 13, previous vitamin D treatment.
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Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
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Blázquez-Cabrera et al., 10 Jun 2025, retrospective, Spain, peer-reviewed, mean age 73.0, 6 authors, study period 24 January, 2021 - 8 March, 2021, dosage varies (calcitriol), trial
NCT05819918 (history) (ALBACOVIDIOL).
Contact: roger.bouillon@kuleuven.be.
