Associations between predicted vitamin D status, vitamin D intake, and risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • W. Ma
  • L.H. Nguyen
  • Y. Yue
  • M. Ding
  • D.A. Drew
  • K. Wang
  • Merino Ribas, Jordi
  • J.W. Rich-Edwards
  • Q. Sun
  • C.A. Camargo
  • E. Giovannucci
  • W. Willett
  • J.E. Manson
  • M. Song
  • S.N. Bhupathiraju
  • A.T. Chan
Background
Vitamin D may have a role in immune responses to viral infections. However, data on the association between vitamin D and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity have been limited and inconsistent.

Objective
We examined the associations of predicted vitamin D status and intake with risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity.

Methods
We used data from periodic surveys (May 2020 to March 2021) within the Nurses’ Health Study II. Among 39,315 participants, 1768 reported a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Usual vitamin D intake from foods and supplements were measured using a semiquantitative, pre-pandemic food-frequency questionnaire in 2015. Predicted 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration were calculated based on a previously validated model including dietary and supplementary vitamin D intake, UV-B, and other behavioral predictors of vitamin D status.

Results
Higher predicted 25(OH)D concentrations, but not vitamin D intake, were associated with a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Comparing participants in the highest quintile of predicted 25(OH)D concentrations with the lowest, the multivariable-adjusted OR was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.58, 0.99; P-trend = 0.04). Participants in the highest quartile of UV-B (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.87; P-trend = 0.002) and UV-A (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.88; P-trend < 0.001) also had a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with the lowest. High intake of vitamin D from supplements (≥400 IU/d) was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.91; P-trend = 0.04).

Conclusions
Our study provides suggestive evidence on the association between higher predicted circulating 25(OH)D concentrations and a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Greater intake of vitamin D supplements was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization. Our data also support an association between exposure to UV-B or UV-A, independently of vitamin D and SARS-CoV-2 infection, so results for predicted 25(OH)D need to be interpreted cautiously.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume115
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)1123-1133
Number of pages12
ISSN0002-9165
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes

ID: 347795674