If you are looking for ideas on natural remedies for pneumonia, take note of the information in this article. Vitamin D3 may support better health and lessen mortality in people with community-acquired pneumonia.
Here are the verbatim abstracts from previous public health research that may (or may not) have implications for us all now in dealing with the current crisis. This is not a sure-fire cure or preventive. But – it is worth a serious consideration with your doctor.
Nonetheless, it may make sense to optimize your vitamin D3 supplement intake at least during the winter… Note that men with vitamin D deficiencies had worse outcomes, especially smokers – sound familiar?
Also note that frail elderly, people with various chronic medical problems, and people of color generally are particularly susceptible to having a vitamin D deficiency. This is readily remediated by taking vitamin D3 supplements.
And over 40% of the US population is deficient in vitamin D. Poor nutritional status is one of several risk factors for COVID-19, influenza, and other infections with serious impacts. Read the findings below…
Association of Vitamin D Status with the Severity and Mortality of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Iran during 2016-2017: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common disease considered as a major public health problem. It causes considerable morbidity and mortality despite antibiotic treatments. Hospital admission of CAP patients is a significant financial burden and many efforts are ongoing to decrease hospital stay durations. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of respiratory infections. This study was designed to determine the association of vitamin D status with hospitalized CAP patient mortality and disease severity.
METHODS:
This prospective cohort study examined 180 CAP patients admitted to a teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2016-2017. Their demographic and anthropometric characteristics were recorded. The disease severity was evaluated based on CURB-65. Vitamin D status was determined by measuring by serum 25-hydroxylated vitamin D (25(OH)D) with ELISA. The patients were followed for 30 days to evaluate their vitality.
RESULTS:
One hundred and eighty pneumonia patients, including 104 males and 84 females, were recruited from respiratory disease, infectious disease, emergency, and ICU wards. Nearly 18% of the patients were current smokers. The CAP severity, evaluated by CURB-65, was determined to be non-severe in 74.4% of the patients. Patients were classified as vitamin D sufficient, insufficient, or deficient. Thirty percent of the patients were vitamin D sufficient, 18% were insufficient, and 52% were deficient. Thirty-day mortality was 40% (72 cases). Mortality was greater in males than in females (47.1% vs. 30.3%, p=0.03). The disease was significantly less severe in the patients who survived than in those who did not. The vitamin D status differed between males and females (p=0.027). The vitamin D status was lower in the more severe cases than in the less (p=0.036), and vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in patients who died than in those who lived. Vitamin D concentration was negatively correlated with hospital stay duration. The 25(OH)D concentration was significantly greater in patients who survived than in those who did not (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION:
Pneumonia severity and mortality risk were greater and hospital stays longer in vitamin D-deficient patients than in those with higher vitamin D status.
KEYWORDS:
Disease severity; Mortality; Pneumonia; Vitamin D
- PMID:
- 31334293
- PMCID:
- PMC6590933
Association between serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and community-acquired pneumonia: a case-control study.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common disease with significant morbidity and mortality. There is evidence that vitamin D deficiency can be associated with infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of vitamin D between patients with CAP and healthy controls.
METHODS:
In a case-control study on 73 patients with CAP and 76 healthy controls, the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) was measured. Severity and outcomes of disease and also duration of hospital stay were compared in patients with different levels of 25(OH)D. The severity of CAP was assessed using the CURB-65 score (confusion, uremia, respiratory rate, low blood pressure, age ≥65 years) and was also reflected by the length of hospital stay, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), and 30-day mortality.
RESULTS:
In total, 81.2% of the study population had vitamin D levels <30 ng/dL. The risk of pneumonia among subjects with deficient vitamin D levels was 3.69 (95% CI: 1.46, 9.31) times of those with sufficient vitamin D level (P=0.006). Prevalence of severe deficiency of vitamin D in scores three and four of CURB-65 (59.38%), was far more than scores one and two (31.71%). Also, results indicated patients with severe deficiency had a higher risk for ICU admission, 30-day mortality, and longer hospitalization stay, but these were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSION:
According to findings, a low level of 25(OH)D is associated with a higher incidence of CAP and more severe disease. It is recommended to pay more attention to vitamin D deficiency in infectious diseases, particularly in CAP patients.
KEYWORDS:
community-acquired infections; pneumonia; vitamin D deficiency
- PMID:
- 29180888
- PMCID:
- PMC5692194
- DOI:
- 10.2147/IJGM.S149049
Prevalence and predictors of vitamin D-deficiency in frail older hospitalized patients.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Vitamin D deficiency is known to be highly prevalent in older persons. However, the prevalence in the subgroup of frail older hospitalized patients is not clear. We sought to investigate the prevalence and predictors of vitamin D deficiency in frail older hospitalized patients.
METHODS:
217 consecutively geriatric hospitalized patients with routine measurements of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH)D] at hospital admission were analyzed retrospectively, including information of previous vitamin D supplementation and the geriatric assessment. Serum 25 (OH)D concentrations < 20 ng/ml and between 20 and 29.99 ng/ml were classified as deficient and insufficient, respectively, whereas concentrations ≥30 ng/ml were considered as desirable. A stepwise binary logistic regression model was performed to assess the simultaneous effects of age, gender and geriatric assessments on the prevalence of low vitamin D concentration.
RESULTS:
Mean age of the cohort was 81.6 ± 8.0 years (70.0% females). Mean serum 25(OH)D was 12.7 ± 12.9 ng/ml. Of 167 (77%) subjects without known previous vitamin D supplementation, only 21 (12.6%) had serum concentrations ≥20 ng/ml and only 8 (4.2%) had desirable serum concentrations ≥30 ng/ml. In total population, 146 (87.4%) participants were vitamin D deficient. Despite vitamin D supplementation, 22 of 50 participants (44.0%) were vitamin D deficient and only 19 (38.0%) had desirable concentrations of ≥30 ng/ml. In a stepwise logistic regression analysis, only previous intake of vitamin D supplementation and high Geriatric Depression Scale score (GDS-15) were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency.
CONCLUSIONS:
In the group of frail older hospitalized patients without previous vitamin D supplementation, the prevalence of inadequate vitamin D concentrations is extremely high. Therefore, usefulness of the routine measurement of vitamin D status before initiating of supplementation appears to be questionable in this patient group.
KEYWORDS:
Falls; Frail; Geriatric; Older; Vitamin D deficiency
- PMID:
- 30236071
- PMCID:
- PMC6148775
- DOI:
- 10.1186/s12877-018-0919-8
- [Indexed for MEDLINE]
Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults.
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency could be linked to several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its correlates to test the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency was common in the US population, especially in certain minority groups. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005 to 2006 data were analyzed for vitamin D levels in adult participants (N = 4495). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations ≤20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L). The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 41.6%, with the highest rate seen in blacks (82.1%), followed by Hispanics (69.2%). Vitamin D deficiency was significantly more common among those who had no college education, were obese, with a poor health status, hypertension, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, or not consuming milk daily (all P < .001). Multivariate analyses showed that being from a non-white race, not college educated, obese, having low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, poor health, and no daily milk consumption were all significantly, independently associated with vitamin D deficiency (all P < .05). In summary, vitamin D deficiency was common in the US population, especially among blacks and Hispanics. Given that vitamin D deficiency is linked to some of the important risk factors of leading causes of death in the United States, it is important that health professionals are aware of this connection and offer dietary and other intervention strategies to correct vitamin D deficiency, especially in minority groups.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
- PMID:
- 21310306
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.nutres.2010.12.001
- [Indexed for MEDLINE]
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.24.20075838v1
Background: COVID-19 is a major pandemic that has killed more than 196,000 people. The COVID-19 disease course is strikingly divergent. Approximately 80-85% of patients experience mild or no symptoms, while the remainder develop severe disease. The mechanisms underlying these divergent outcomes are unclear. Emerging health disparities data regarding African American and homeless populations suggest that vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) may be an underlying driver of COVID-19 severity. To better define the VDI-COVID-19 link, we determined the prevalence of VDI among our COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: In an Institutional Review Board approved study performed at a single, tertiary care academic medical center, the medical records of COVID-19 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects were included for whom serum 25-hydroxycholecalcifoerol (25OHD) levels were determined. COVID-19-relevant data were compiled and analyzed. We determined the frequency of VDI among COVID-19 patients to evaluate the likelihood of a VDI-COVID-19 relationship. Results: Twenty COVID-19 patients with serum 25OHD levels were identified; 65.0% required ICU admission.The VDI prevalence in ICU patients was 84.6%, vs. 57.1% in floor patients. Strikingly, 100% of ICU patients less than 75 years old had VDI. Coagulopathy was present in 62.5% of ICU COVID-19 patients, and 92.3% were lymphocytopenic. Conclusions: VDI is highly prevalent in severe COVID-19 patients. VDI and severe COVID-19 share numerous associations including hypertension, obesity, male sex, advanced age, concentration in northern climates, coagulopathy, and immune dysfunction. Thus, we suggest that prospective, randomized controlled studies of VDI in COVID-19 patients are warranted.
. 2020 Apr 2;12(4):E988.
doi: 10.3390/nu12040988.
Evidence That Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths
- PMID: 32252338
- DOI: 10.3390/nu12040988
Abstract
The world is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health measures that can reduce the risk of infection and death in addition to quarantines are desperately needed. This article reviews the roles of vitamin D in reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections, knowledge about the epidemiology of influenza and COVID-19, and how vitamin D supplementation might be a useful measure to reduce risk. Through several mechanisms, vitamin D can reduce risk of infections. Those mechanisms include inducing cathelicidins and defensins that can lower viral replication rates and reducing concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines that produce the inflammation that injures the lining of the lungs, leading to pneumonia, as well as increasing concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Several observational studies and clinical trials reported that vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of influenza, whereas others did not. Evidence supporting the role of vitamin D in reducing risk of COVID-19 includes that the outbreak occurred in winter, a time when 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations are lowest; that the number of cases in the Southern Hemisphere near the end of summer are low; that vitamin D deficiency has been found to contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome; and that case-fatality rates increase with age and with chronic disease comorbidity, both of which are associated with lower 25(OH)D concentration. To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L). For treatment of people who become infected with COVID-19, higher vitamin D3 doses might be useful. Randomized controlled trials and large population studies should be conducted to evaluate these recommendations.
Keywords: COVID-19; UVB; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); ascorbic acid; cathelicidin; coronavirus; cytokine storm; influenza; observational; pneumonia; prevention; respiratory tract infection; solar radiation; treatment; vitamin C; vitamin D.
High-dose of vitamin D supplement is associated with reduced susceptibility of monocyte-derived macrophages to dengue virus infection and pro-inflammatory cytokine production: An exploratory study.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Dengue, one the most important public health problems in tropical and subtropical areas, is the most important mosquito-borne viral infection in humans. In the absence of effective treatment and vaccine against dengue, the active form of vitamin D could play a central role in protection against dengue virus (DENV), the causal agent of dengue. Recently we reported that monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) differentiated in the presence of vitamin D, in addition to expressing lower levels of mannose receptor, are less susceptible to DENV infection and produce low levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, compared to MDMs differentiated in the absence of vitamin D.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to determine that oral vitamin D supplementation exerts an effect on DENV susceptibility and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in MDMs.
METHODS:
Healthy individuals were supplemented with 1000 or 4000 international units (IU)/day of vitamin D during 10days. Before and after vitamin D supplementation, a peripheral blood (PB) sample was taken and the monocytes recovered were used to obtain MDMs and were challenged with DENV-2. Furthermore, the expression of genes encoding vitamin D receptor (VDR), CYP24A1 and CAMP were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR.
RESULTS:
The data indicate that macrophages differentiated from monocytes obtained from healthy donors who received higher doses of vitamin D (4000IU/day), exhibited higher resistance to DENV-2 infection and produced a significant decrease of pro-inflammatory cytokines and high production of interleukin-10 (IL-10). Furthermore, a significant decrease in intracellular toll-like receptor (TLR) and CAMP mRNA was observed.
CONCLUSION:
A supplement of 4000IU/day of vitamin D may represent an adequate dose to control dengue progression and DENV replication. Although the results of our study suggest that the vitamin D status can influence the immune response, further studies are needed to determine the feasibility of vitamin D as anti-DENV agent and immune modulator.
Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.
KEYWORDS:
Dengue virus; Macrophages; Proinflammatory cytokines; TLRs; Vitamin D
- PMID:
- 29289621
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.cca.2017.12.044
- [Indexed for MEDLINE]
In conclusion, among the natural remedies for pneumonia, consider vitamin D and its most beneficial form, vitamin D3. This is a foundational step as part of a larger self-care plan to reduce risk and improve outcomes using an important vitamin to support immune system health.
A Review of Micronutrients and the Immune System–Working in Harmony to Reduce the Risk of Infection
Associated Data
Abstract
Immune support by micronutrients is historically based on vitamin C deficiency and supplementation in scurvy in early times. It has since been established that the complex, integrated immune system needs multiple specific micronutrients, including vitamins A, D, C, E, B6, and B12, folate, zinc, iron, copper, and selenium, which play vital, often synergistic roles at every stage of the immune response. Adequate amounts are essential to ensure the proper function of physical barriers and immune cells; however, daily micronutrient intakes necessary to support immune function may be higher than current recommended dietary allowances. Certain populations have inadequate dietary micronutrient intakes, and situations with increased requirements (e.g., infection, stress, and pollution) further decrease stores within the body. Several micronutrients may be deficient, and even marginal deficiency may impair immunity. Although contradictory data exist, available evidence indicates that supplementation with multiple micronutrients with immune-supporting roles may modulate immune function and reduce the risk of infection. Micronutrients with the strongest evidence for immune support are vitamins C and D and zinc. Better design of human clinical studies addressing dosage and combinations of micronutrients in different populations are required to substantiate the benefits of micronutrient supplementation against infection.
Vitamin D Supplementation Could Possibly Improve Clinical Outcomes of Patients Infected with Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19)
9 Pages Posted: 9 Apr 2020 Last revised: 7 May 2020
Date Written: April 9, 2020
Abstract
The rapid spread of COVID-19 in many areas of the world calls for preventive health measures. Although basic guidelines on infection control are suggested, treatment has remained the best choice to avert mortality. However, for the time being, there are no known vaccines for the disease. In this paper, a multinomial logistic regression was used to predict clinical outcomes of patients infected with COVID-19 based on 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, the barometer for Vitamin D status. A retrospective multicentre study of 212 cases with laboratory-confirmed infection of SARS-CoV-2 was conducted. Data pertaining to clinical features and serum 25(OH)D levels were extracted from the medical records. For statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney U and χ² tests were used to compare differences in the clinical outcomes. Multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the association between serum 25(OH)D level and clinical outcomes of the cases. Frequency and percentage were used for categorical variables. Mean was used for continuous variables. A p-value below 0.01 was considered statistically significant. Of the 212 cases of COVID-19, majority had ordinary clinical outcome. Mean serum 25(OH)D level was 23.8 ng/ml. Serum 25(OH)D level was lowest in critical cases, but highest in mild cases. Serum 25(OH)D levels were statistically significant among clinical outcomes. Majority had insufficient Vitamin D status, most of them were not severe. Vitamin D status is significantly associated with clinical outcomes. A multinomial logistic regression analysis reported that for each standard deviation increase in serum 25(OH)D, the odds of having a mild clinical outcome rather than a severe outcome were approximately 7.94 times (OR=0.126, p<0.001) while interestingly, the odds of having a mild clinical outcome rather than a critical outcome were approximately 19.61 times (OR=0.051, p<0.001). The results suggest that an increase in serum 25(OH)D level in the body could either improve clinical outcomes or mitigate worst (severe to critical) outcomes, while a decrease in serum 25(OH)D level in the body could worsen clinical outcomes of COVID-2019 patients. In conclusion, this study provides substantial information to clinicians and health policy-makers. Vitamin D supplementation could possibly improve clinical outcomes of patients infected with COVID-19. Further research should conduct randomized controlled trials and large population studies to evaluate this recommendation.
Background: COVID-19 is a major pandemic that has killed more than 196,000 people. The COVID-19 disease course is strikingly divergent. Approximately 80-85% of patients experience mild or no symptoms, while the remainder develop severe disease. The mechanisms underlying these divergent outcomes are unclear. Emerging health disparities data regarding African American and homeless populations suggest that vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) may be an underlying driver of COVID-19 severity. To better define the VDI-COVID-19 link, we determined the prevalence of VDI among our COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: In an Institutional Review Board approved study performed at a single, tertiary care academic medical center, the medical records of COVID-19 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects were included for whom serum 25-hydroxycholecalcifoerol (25OHD) levels were determined. COVID-19-relevant data were compiled and analyzed. We determined the frequency of VDI among COVID-19 patients to evaluate the likelihood of a VDI-COVID-19 relationship. Results: Twenty COVID-19 patients with serum 25OHD levels were identified; 65.0% required ICU admission.The VDI prevalence in ICU patients was 84.6%, vs. 57.1% in floor patients. Strikingly, 100% of ICU patients less than 75 years old had VDI. Coagulopathy was present in 62.5% of ICU COVID-19 patients, and 92.3% were lymphocytopenic. Conclusions: VDI is highly prevalent in severe COVID-19 patients. VDI and severe COVID-19 share numerous associations including hypertension, obesity, male sex, advanced age, concentration in northern climates, coagulopathy, and immune dysfunction. Thus, we suggest that prospective, randomized controlled studies of VDI in COVID-19 patients are warranted.
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