Vitamin D Supplementation to Prevent COVID-19 Infections and Deaths—Accumulating Evidence from Epidemiological and Intervention Studies Calls for Immediate Action
Brenner,
Vitamin D Supplementation to Prevent COVID-19 Infections and Deaths—Accumulating Evidence from Epidemiological..,
, H., Nutrients, doi:10.3390/nu13020411 (Review)
Summary of epidemiological and intervention studies for vitamin D supplementation. Author concludes that despite limitations, evidence strongly supports widespread supplementation, in particular for high-risk populations, as well as high-dose supplementation for those infected.
Brenner et al., 28 Jan 2021, peer-reviewed, 1 author.
Abstract: nutrients
Commentary
Vitamin D Supplementation to Prevent COVID-19 Infections
and Deaths—Accumulating Evidence from Epidemiological
and Intervention Studies Calls for Immediate Action
Hermann Brenner 1,2
1
2
Citation: Brenner, H. Vitamin D
Supplementation to Prevent COVID-19
German Cancer Research Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, 69120 Heidelberg,
Germany; h.brenner@dkfz.de; Tel.: +49-6221-42-1300
Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented threat to human health, health care
systems, public life, and economy around the globe. The repertoire of effective therapies for severe
courses of the disease has remained limited. A large proportion of the world population suffers
from vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, with prevalence being particularly high among the
COVID-19 high-risk populations. Vitamin D supplementation has been suggested as a potential
option to prevent COVID-19 infections, severe courses, and deaths from the disease, but is not widely
practiced. This article provides an up-to-date summary of recent epidemiological and intervention
studies on a possible role of vitamin D supplementation for preventing severe COVID-19 cases and
deaths. Despite limitations and remaining uncertainties, accumulating evidence strongly supports
widespread vitamin D supplementation, in particular of high-risk populations, as well as high-dose
supplementation of those infected. Given the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, the benefit–risk
ratio of such supplementation calls for immediate action even before results of ongoing large-scale
randomized trials become available.
Keywords: COVID-19; mortality; prevention; supplementation; vitamin D
Infections and Deaths—Accumulating
Evidence from Epidemiological and
Intervention Studies Calls for Immediate
Action. Nutrients 2021, 13, 411.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020411
Academic Editor: Spyridon Karras
Received: 28 December 2020
Accepted: 24 January 2021
Published: 28 January 2021
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