Administering high dose of Vitamin D to coronavirus patients when they are admitted to hospital could cut deaths by 60 percent, doubling the benefit of the best current drug, a recent study suggests.
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| Photo: Vitamin D | InStyleHealth |
Experts from the University of Barcelona revealed that
patients prescribed calcifediol, which is an intensive dose of Vitamin D usually
given to people with chronic kidney failure had their risk of admission to
intensive care dramatically cut and death rates significantly declined.
At present, the steroid dexamethasone has proven the greatest
impact, reducing casualties by 30 percent, and is now being recommended for
seriously ill NHS patients; however, the new study suggests calcifediol could
be twice as favorable if administered early.
In the research, 10 percent of the patients confined
in Barcelona’s Hospital de Mar with coronavirus died within 30 days. However,
while 57 out of 379 (15 percent) control patients died, and just 6.5 percent or
36 out of the 551 patients who were treated with calcifediol died.
Experts found that earlier treatment with calcifediol
was better. If given on admission to ICU, the treatment made no significant
difference.
The authors of the study concluded, “Our results
indicate that early calcifediol administration is critical for mortality reduction,
since initiation of calcifediol during ICU did not modify patient survival.
The authors concluded: "Our results indicate that
early calcifediol administration is critical for mortality reduction, since
initiation of calcifediol during ICU admission did not modify patient survival.”
“Ultimately these effects are thought to curb the
inflammatory cascade that leads to the cytokine and chemokine storm associated
with the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Adequate Vitamin
D status could also play a role in preventing COVID-19 infection.”
There has been a growing speculation that one of the
reasons why black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities are so disproportionately
impacted by COVID-19 is endemic low levels of Vitamin D in BAME populace.
Vitamin D is produced naturally in the body when skin
comes into contact with sunshine and is vital for healthy bones, strong muscles
and good immune system. However, not as much sunlight can penetrate darker
skins, meaning less of Vitamin D is being produced in the body.
The National Health Service (NHS) currently recommends
that people need to take Vitamin D supplements in the winter season.
Last year, experts from Anglia Ruskin University
published work showing a significant correlation between the number of
coronavirus cases compared with the average population levels of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D has been proven to protect against acute
respiratory infections. It will also regulate the response of the white blood
cells, preventing them from releasing too many inflammatory cells that may stop
the body overreacting to the virus.
Some experts said it was unclear whether the study was
fully randomized, while others though they were concerned that people may think
Vitamin D would be enough to protect them from COVID-19 and urged them to still
have a vaccine.