Positive Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Retrospective studies showed a relationship between vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity and mortality, with an inverse relation between SARS-CoV-2 positivity and circulating calcifediol levels. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the length of hospital stay and clinical improvement in patients with vitamin D deficiency hospitalized with COVID-19. The study was randomized, double blind and placebo controlled. A total of 50 subjects were enrolled and received, in addition to the best available COVID therapy, either vitamin D (25,000 IU per day over 4 consecutive days, followed by 25,000 IU per week up to 6 weeks) or placebo. The length of hospital stay decreased significantly in the vitamin D group compared to the placebo group (4 days vs. 8 days; p = 0.003). At Day 7, a significantly lower percentage of patients were still hospitalized in the vitamin D group compared to the placebo group (19% vs. 54%; p = 0.0161), and none of the patients treated with vitamin D were hospitalized after 21 days compared to 14% of the patients treated with placebo. Vitamin D significantly reduced the duration of supplemental oxygen among the patients who needed it (4 days vs. 7 days in the placebo group; p = 0.012) and significantly improved the clinical recovery of the patients, as assessed by the WHO scale (p = 0.0048). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization was improved by administration of vitamin D.

Role of vitamin D supplementation in the management of musculoskeletal diseases: update from an European Society of Clinical and Economical Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) working group

“…The current use of high doses of vitamin D in COVID-19 patients is not based on solid evidence. Very recently in a randomized controlled trial with 50 subjects hospitalized for COVID-19 with a mean age of 65 years and a baseline 25(OH)D level at 55 nmol/L, 25,000 IU cholecalciferol/day over 4 consecutive days followed by 25,000 IU/week up to 6 weeks reduced the hospitalization duration (4 days vs 8 days) and the need for supplemental oxygen [138].…”

Potential Benefit of Vitamin D Supplementation in COVID-19

“…Since the completion of the aforementioned meta-analysis, a number of interventional studies evaluating the impact of vitamin D supplementation on COVID-19 outcomes have been published. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] All but two of the studies 23,24 found benefits to vitamin D supplementation in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Of note, bolus dosing was used in both studies that found no benefit, and in the Mariani et al study, baseline 25(OH)VitD levels >30 ng/mL.…”

Logical Analysis of Response of Health Officials’ Worldwide, to Cost-Effective Early Remedies for COVID19

“…In contrast to the negative study mentioned earlier, it is possible to review one of the latest studies reported in the vdmetadata.com analysis. In that study, De Niet and colleagues (2022) [80] used a double-blind control design in which hospitalized COVID-19 patients were treated early with multiple doses of vitamin D3 (25,000 IU) for up to 6 weeks. Even though calcifediol was not used, each treated patient received 100,000 IU of vitamin D3 in the first four days, followed by six-weeks of weekly maintenance.…”