Vitamin D levels and in-hospital mortality of COVID-19

Year 2022, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 457 - 461, 15.03.2022

Emre Sedar Saygılı , Ersen Karakılıç

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1056650

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to an increased susceptibility risk of COVID-19. However, the data on the link between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 related in-hospital mortality is debatable. This study investigated whether vitamin D levels are associated with intensive care unit (ICU) admission and COVID-19 related in-hospital mortality.
Material and Method: We conducted a retrospective study with hospitalized COVID-19 patients between March 2020 and March 2021. 25 OH Vitamin D (Vit-D) levels <12 ng/mL were accepted as Vit-D deficiency. The patients were evaluated in two groups as Vit-D deficient and Non-Vit-D deficient. Groups were matched 1:1 by propensity score matching (PSM) regarding age and gender.
Results: A total of 192 patients, 52.6% (101) of whom were female, with a median age of 71 (IQR:61-78), were included in the study. Before PSM analysis, the Vit-D deficient group patients were older, female predominant, have more mortality rates. After PSM, 122 cases (61 cases for each group) remained, and mortality between Vit-D groups was statistically similar (34% vs. 26%, p=0.32). In the univariate logistics regression analysis before PSM, Vit-D level was a significant for mortality (OR:0.972 CI:0.945-0.999, p=0.044); after PSM statistical significance was lost (OR:0.96 CI:0.934-1.005, p=0.087). ICU admission rates were similar between groups.
Conclusion: Although mortality was higher in the group with Vit-D deficiency in the first analysis, it lost its significance on mortality after adjusting groups for age and gender. There was no relationship between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 in-hospital mortality.

Keywords

Vitamin D, COVID-19, Mortality, Critical Care, Hospitalization

Supporting Institution

The authors declared that this study had received no financial support.

Thanks

We acknowledge and thank all of the doctors, nurses and other medical personnel at our hospital who provided care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially, we would like to thank Dr.Erdal Mert for his support.

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