Vitamin D and mental health during the Covid-19 outbreak

The relationship between hypovitaminosis D and depressive disorder is well documented in the medical literature. However, the biological mechanisms by which vitamin D can modulate psychological distress are still unclear. Containment measures can decrease individual’s exposure to the sun, significantly increasing their needs for vitamin D, a nutrient already deficient in patients with depression. Therefore, it can be inferred that by ingesting the same amount of vitamin D, depressive individuals seem to obtain a lesser amount of this nutrient from the sun's rays when compared to healthy people. We found the relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19 has been increasingly studied, mainly due to the changes that this substance can cause in the inflammatory process - especially in the release of cytokines, in SARS and in lung injuries. Despite the benefits, the existing observational studies on this exchange are not enough to definitively associate vitamin D as a protective factor for COVID-19.

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Vitamin D in the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoarthritis: From Clinical Interventions to Cellular Evidence

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11020243 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 243 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Clara Yongjoo Park

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Pilot Trial ◽

Clinical Results ◽

Vitamin D Supplementation ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Relationship

Older adults are recommended vitamin D to prevent fractures. Though this population is also at risk of osteoarthritis (OA), the effect of vitamin D on OA is unclear and may differ by disease state. The relationship between vitamin D and OA during OA initiation and progression were considered in this narrative review of in vivo and in vitro studies. Regarding OA initiation in humans, the small number of published observational studies suggest a lack of association between induction of OA and vitamin D status. Most randomized controlled trials were performed in White OA patients with relatively high vitamin D status (>50 nmol/L). These studies found no benefit of vitamin D supplementation on OA progression. However, subset analyses and one randomized controlled pilot trial indicated that vitamin D supplementation may alleviate joint pain in OA patients with low vitamin D status (<50 nmol/L). As the etiology of OA is recently being more fully uncovered, better animal and cell models are needed. According to currently available clinical results, evidence is lacking to set a vitamin D level to prevent OA, and increasing vitamin D status above 50 nmol/L does not seem to benefit OA patients.

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Vitamin D and Its Role as a Protective Factor in Allergy

International Scholarly Research Notices ◽

10.1155/2014/951946 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mehmet Hoxha ◽

Maria Zoto ◽

Leonard Deda ◽

Gentian Vyshka

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Allergic Disease ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Hypovitaminosis D ◽

Optimal Dose ◽

Vitamin D Supplementation ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Asthma Morbidity

The relationship between vitamin D status and asthma has been subject to several studies in the last decade. Epidemiological data suggest that incidence of asthma and atopic diseases increased significantly in most Westernized countries. The significant variation between countries suggests that besides genetic factors, environmental aspects play a role in the pathogenesis of atopy. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D is high in many industrialized countries. In addition to its relationship with bone metabolism, vitamin D is recognized as an immunomodulator, with important effects on both adaptive and innate immunity. Correlations between vitamin D status and asthma have been formulated, with a considerable interest in assessing whether this vitamin protects against or reduces asthma morbidity. In this review, we discuss recent findings regarding vitamin D status throughout Europe and its influence over asthma and allergic rhinitis prevalence. Geographical latitude and dietary habits may explain the lower prevalence of allergic disease in Albania. We also consider the effects of vitamin D supplementation in allergic disease. Several clinical trials are under way and their results are needed in order to make definitive recommendations about the optimal dose of vitamin D for prevention and treatment of asthma and allergic disease.

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The relationship between serum vitamin D level and COVID-19; a review study

Journal of Preventive Epidemiology ◽

10.34172/jpe.2020.34 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. e34-e34

Author(s):

Yasaman Koohshoori ◽

Ehsan Ramanian ◽

Nasrin Moradi ◽

Shahrzad Shadabi ◽

Minoo Motahhar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Serum Vitamin ◽

Length Of Hospital Stay ◽

Hypovitaminosis D ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Potential Effect ◽

Hydroxyvitamin D ◽

Serum Vitamin D ◽

Vitamin D Levels ◽

The Relationship

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of the most important epidemiological events in the past 100 years has become, the consequences for public health and economic systems around the world. Vitamin D is an important micronutrient that has been reported to improve immunity and protect against respiratory diseases. In this study, we intend to review articles that examine the relationship between COVID-19 and vitamin D. Methods: This is a review that uses articles from studies published in 2020 on the relationship between COVID-19 and vitamin D in databases such as; Web of Science, Science Direct, SID, Magiran, Google Scholar and PubMed. Keywords used included; serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin D, COVID-19, SARS-COV-2 and coronavirus 2. With this search, 32 articles were finally selected for this purpose and their results were reviewed Results: Of the 32 studies reviewed, only three showed no association between vitamin D levels in the blood and COVID-19 disease. Other studies had a relationship between the severity of the disease, mortality rate and length of hospital stay, in different age, gender and location groups. Conclusion: It seems that the level of vitamin D in the blood has a potential effect on COVID-19 disease. Checking the serum vitamin D levels and supplementation in people with hypovitaminosis D can be a good solution to reduce the complications and problems caused by COVID-19.

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Relation between the vitamin D status and the occurrence and severity of thyroid malignancy

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY ◽

10.22141/2224-0721.17.7.2021.244971 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (7) ◽

pp. 557-561

Author(s):

L.A. Nikitiuk ◽

Korsak Yu.

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Vitamin D Deficiency ◽

Large Volume ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Medical Literature ◽

Vitamin D Supplementation ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Vdr Gene ◽

Cancer Data

Background. In spite of large volume of data linking vitamin D with cardiovascular morbidity, autoimmunity, cancer, and virtually every organ system, vitamin D and thyroid is a lesser-known aspect of vitamin D in clinical practice. The association between vitamin D deficiency and thyroid cancer is controversial. Some studies have demonstrated that higher serum vitamin D levels might protect against thyroid cancer, whereas others have not, or have even indicated the opposite to to be the case. This review intends to highlight the current literature on the impact of vitamin D status on thyroid cancer. Materials and methods. References for this review were identified through searches of PubMed for articles published to from 2005 to June 2021 using the terms “thyroid cancer” and “vitamin D”. Results. A large volume of medical literature is available from observational studies linking vitamin D with thyroid cancer. Data from interventional studies documenting beneficial effects of vitamin D on thyroid autoimmunity is also available, but lesser than that from observational studies. Short-term high dose oral vitamin D supplementation reduces TPOAb titers. Certain vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism have been linked to increased occurrence of autoimmune thyroid disorders. Vitamin D deficiency, decreased circulating calcitriol has been linked to increased thyroid cancer. Certain VDR gene polymorphisms have been linked with increased as well as decreased occurrence of thyroid cancer. Data is scant on use of vitamin D and its analogues for treating thyroid cancer. The results suggest that Vitamin D deficiency may have value as a negative prognostic indicator in papillary thyroid cancer and that pre-operative laboratory evaluation may be less useful. This is important because Vitamin D deficiency is modifiable. Conclusions. In spite of large volume of medical literature from observational studies linking vitamin D with thyroid cancer, meaningful concrete clinical data on impact of vitamin D supplementation on hard clinical end points in these disorders is lacking, and should be the primary area of research in the next decade.

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The impact of vitamin D status and supplementation on thyroid autoimmunity

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY ◽

10.22141/2224-0721.16.8.2020.222889 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. 681-685

Author(s):

I. Pankiv

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Large Volume ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Medical Literature ◽

Thyroid Autoimmunity ◽

Organ System ◽

The Body ◽

Thyroid Peroxidase ◽

High Dose ◽

The Impact

Background. In spite of large volume of data linking vitamin D (VD) with cardiovascular morbidity, autoimmunity, cancer, and virtually every organ system, VD and thyroid is a lesser-known aspect of VD in clinical practice. The reason for this almost ubiquitous role of VD is perhaps because VD receptor (VDR) is virtually expressed in every tissue and organ system of the body. This review intends to highlight the current literature on the impact of VD status and supplementation on thyroid autoimmunity. Materials and methods. References for this review were identified through searches of PubMed for articles published to from 2015 to September 2020 using the terms “thyroid” and “Vitamin D”. Results. Significant inverse correlation was documented between anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO Ab) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D. TPO Ab positivity is more prevalent in VD deficient individuals. A large volume of medical literature is available from observational studies linking VD with thyroid autoimmunity. Data from interventional studies documenting beneficial effects of VD on thyroid autoimmunity is also available, but lesser than that from observational studies. Short-term high dose oral VD supplementation reduces TPO Ab titers. Certain VDR gene polymorphism has been linked to increased occurrence of autoimmune thyroid disorders (AITD). Data on whether correction of Vitamin D deficiency in AITD results in reduction in the requirement of levothyroxine or carbimazole in hypothyroidism or Graves’ disease respectively is not available. Conclusions. In spite of large volume of medical literature from observational studies linking VD with thyroid autoimmunity, meaningful concrete clinical data on impact of VD supplementation on hard clinical end points in these disorders is lacking, and should be the primary area of research in the next decade.

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Sufficience serum vitamin D before 20 weeks of pregnancy reduces the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus

Nutrition & Metabolism ◽

10.1186/s12986-020-00509-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chao-Yan Yue ◽

Chun-Mei Ying

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Gestational Diabetes ◽

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Serum Vitamin ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Serum Vitamin D ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels before 20 weeks of pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Methods This study is a retrospective study. We analyzed the relationship between serum 25 (OH) D level before 20 weeks of pregnancy (first antenatal examination) and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Age, parity and pre-pregnancy body mass index were used as confounding factors. 8468 pregnant women were enrolled in this study between January 2018 and March 2020 at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University. Adjusted smoothing splinespline plots, subgroup analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the relative risk between 25(OH)D and gestational diabetes mellitus. Results After fully adjusting the confounding factors, serum vitamin D is a protective factor in gestational diabetes mellitus (OR = 0.90). Compared with vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D insufficiency (OR = 0.78), sufficience (OR = 0.82) are a protective factor for gestational diabetes mellitus. Conclusion Sufficience vitamin D before 20 weeks of pregnancy is a protective factor for gestational diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D > 20 ng/mL can reduce the risk of GDM, which is not much different from the effect of > 30 ng/mL. The protective effect of vitamin D is more significant in obese pregnant women.

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Vitamin D and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a retrospective study in a Romanian cohort

Acta Biochimica Polonica ◽

10.18388/abp.2020_5360 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Elena Sirbu ◽

Florina Buleu ◽

Anca Tudor ◽

Simona Dragan

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Disease Activity ◽

White Blood Cells ◽

Hypovitaminosis D ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

25 Hydroxy Vitamin D ◽

Retrospective Comparative Study ◽

The Relationship

Background. The relationship between the serum levels of Vitamin D and the severity of RA is a subject of great interest for the future therapeutic strategies. Although the evidence on the relationship between hypovitaminosis D and early RA is contradictory, preliminary data suggest that the serum levels of vitamin D are inversely associated with the disease activity. Aim: the main objectives of this study include: (1) to analyze the serum levels of vitamin D in patients with RA in comparison to healthy controls; (2) to investigatea possible correlation with disease activity. Materials and Methods. This was a retrospective, comparative study conducted on 37 subjects suffering from RA and a group of 21 healthy matched controls. The following were determined in all studied subjects: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb), platelets (PLT), serum calcium (Ca), serum phosphorus (Phos), and serum 25 hydroxy-vitamin D. Moreover, in the RA group the IgM-Rhematoid Factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) (immune-enzymatic method) were assessed. The Disease Activity Score of 28 joints (DAS28) was calculated for the RA patients. Results. We observed that vitamin D deficiency is more common in RA patients than in healthy controls. No significant correlation between 25OHvitD and DAS28-ESR was found in our study cohort. Conclusions. There is no significant association of serum 25(OH)D with disease severity in a Western Romanian cohort with RA. However, this result could have implications for the disease management, as patients with RA could be supplemented with vitamin D even in the absence of disease activity.

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Hypovitaminosis D Is Associated with Some Metabolic Indices in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Biomedicine Hub ◽

10.1159/000508207 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Ayobola Abimbola Sonuga ◽

Oyebola Oluwagbemiga Sonuga

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Gestational Diabetes ◽

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Glucose Intolerance ◽

Serum Insulin ◽

Hypovitaminosis D ◽

Control Group ◽

The Relationship

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a pregnancy complication, is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency has recently been recognized as a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of GDM, and this link might be associated with hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and inflammation, which are implicated in GDM. Objectives: This study aims at investigating the relationship between vitamin D, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin, zinc, ferritin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) in GDM. Method: A case-control study in which 80 women attending the antenatal clinic of University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, were recruited; the women were grouped into controls (40 nondiabetic pregnant women) and cases (40 pregnant women with GDM). Blood samples were taken at the second trimester, and metabolites were quantified by standard laboratory methods. Student’s t test and Pearson correlation were used to compare variables and determine the relationship between variables, respectively. Results: Results showed significant (p < 0.05) low levels of serum vitamin D and zinc, and significant (p < 0.05) higher levels of FPG and serum insulin, ferritin, and CRP in the GDM group compared to the control group. In the GDM group, a positive weak relationship was observed between vitamin D and zinc (r = 0.18, p < 0.05), while vitamin D was inversely correlated with FPG, serum insulin, ferritin, and CRP (r = –0.23, –0.21, –0.20, –0.46, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that hypovitaminosis D might be associated with glucose intolerance, insulin insensitivity, and inflammation, which are factors implicated in the development and progression of GDM.

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COVID-19: the older adult and the importance of vitamin D sufficiency

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2020.36 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Paula M. O'Shea ◽

Tomás P. Griffin ◽

Michelle Brennan ◽

Eamon C. Mulkerrin

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Vitamin D Deficiency ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Hypovitaminosis D ◽

The Novel ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Inflammatory Cytokine Response ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Viral Respiratory Infections

Abstract In December 2019, in Wuhan, China, the novel coronavirus ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome 2’ (SARS-CoV-2) was discovered as the cause of a pneumonia-like illness and subsequently named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 spread and is now a global pandemic. With few exceptions, countries in the Northern hemisphere have higher mortality rates from COVID-19. This may be due to an increased prevalence of older people in Northern Europe at higher risk of having cardio-pulmonary and metabolic comorbidities as well as hypovitaminosis D. With increasing age, immunosenescence and ‘inflammaging’ lead to impaired and maladaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infections, contributing to the enhanced prevalence of severe COVID-19 in older patients. The association of ageing with increased vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and disease and worse prognosis in COVID-19 infection, is discussed. Considerable experimental evidence demonstrates the immuno-modulatory properties of vitamin D, in particular, its role in regulating and suppressing the inflammatory cytokine response to viral respiratory infections links the importance of vitamin D sufficiency as a potential protective factor in COVID-19. There is an urgent need for prospective randomised studies to examine whether hypovitaminosis D correlates with severity of COVID-19 disease and the actual benefit of repletion. Moreover, given what has been described as a ‘pandemic of vitamin D deficiency’, especially in Europe, and in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 contagion, the authors support the call for public health doctors and physicians, with support from Governments, to prioritise and strengthen recommendations on vitamin D intake and supplementation.

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Vitamin D status and blood pressure in children and adolescents: a systematic review of observational studies

Systematic Reviews ◽

10.1186/s13643-021-01584-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Myriam Abboud ◽

Fatme Al Anouti ◽

Dimitrios Papandreou ◽

Rana Rizk ◽

Nadine Mahboub ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Population Characteristics ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Prospective Cohort Studies ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background Childhood hypertension is a growing public health problem. Simultaneously, hypovitaminosis D is widespread in this population and could be associated with hypertension. This study systematically reviewed the literature on the relationship between vitamin D status and blood pressure (BP) in children and adolescents. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, PUBMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov and the gray literature without language or time restrictions were searched. We included observational studies, assessed their risk of bias, and extracted data on population characteristics, vitamin D status and BP measurements, and the association between the two variables. A narrative analysis of the studies was performed. Results In total, 85 studies were included. Prospective cohort studies showed no association between vitamin D and BP, and generally, they were flawed. Also, the majority of non-prospective cohort studies (cross-sectional, retrospective, case-control) did not report an association between vitamin D and BP. They were mostly flawed regarding BP measurement and adjusting to potential confounders. Conclusion The results on the relationship between vitamin D status and BP in children and adolescents varied between the studies, and mainly pointed towards lack of association.

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