Vitamin D Deficiency and Adverse Results in COVID-19

Aim: The goal of this study is to find out how common vitamin D deficiency is in patients with corona virus disease and what the consequences are. Study Design: Observational /Prospective Place and Duration: Institute of Basic medical sciences, Khyber Medical University (KMU), Jan 2021-Oct 2021. Materials & Methods: This study included 120 patients of both genders who had been diagnosed with covid-19. Patients ranged in age from 15 to 75 years. After receiving written agreement, demographically detailed such as age, sex, and BMI were recorded. All of the patients had a 5 mL blood sample obtained to check their vitamin D levels. 25(OH)D < 25 nmol/L (10 ng/dL) was considered severe Vitamin D insufficiency. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency as well as negative effects were investigated. SPSS 23.0 was used to analyse the data. Results: The mean age of the 120 patients was 40.11±8.64 years, with 68 (56.7%) males and 52 (43.3%) females. There were 52 patients (43.3%) with severe vitamin D insufficiency. There were 17 deaths of the total number of patients in the study. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with a higher mortality rate in patients with covid-19 disease than in those who had normal levels of vitamin D, a finding that was statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Conclusion: It was found that severe deficiency of vitamin D and death in individuals with covid-19 illness had a strong association. Keywords: Mortality, Vitamin D Deficiency, Covid-19,

Potential Risk Factors for Isolated Hypothyroxinemia in Women of Childbearing Age—Results from Retrospective Analysis

Isolated hypothyroxinemia (IH) unfavorably affects reproduction. This study aimed to evaluate retrospectively if any routinely measured clinical/laboratory parameters are associated with IH among women of childbearing age hospitalized in the endocrine department. A group of 466 female non-pregnant inpatients (age range 13–57 years) was considered. IH (decreased free thyroxine (FT4) with normal TSH) was found in 8/466 patients (1.72%). Vitamin D deficiency (<30 ng/mL) was found in all patients with IH, whereas severe Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was found in 5/6. Vitamin D concentration was lower in IH females. FT4 concentration was lower in patients with severe vitamin D deficiency and correlated positively with vitamin D concentration. Insulin resistance index (IRI) was increased (>1.25) in 5/6 patients with IH. IRI was higher in IH patients and it was the only independent linear factor for IH in the univariate regression. FT4 concentration was lower in patients with increased IRI and correlated negatively with IRI. FT4 concentration correlated negatively with body mass index (BMI) and LDL cholesterol or triglycerides, and positively with HDL cholesterol or HDLC/cholesterol ratio. Vitamin D deficiency, insulin resistance and increased BMI (as potential causative factors), and abnormal lipid profile (as a possible consequence), are associated with IH in women of childbearing age. Eliminating risk factors for hypothyroxinemia may improve reproductive health.

Vitamin D deficiency Crisis in Egypt

Introduction/Objective Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem. Even with the latest medical technology worldwide, vitamin D deficiency is still an ignored epidemic. More than a billion people globally are vitamin D deficient or insufficient. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones as it is responsible for the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate in the human body. It is essential for building the human immune system and legalizing cell growth. Vitamin D deficiency can result in muscle vulnerability, pain, tiredness, and depression. Severe Vitamin D deficiency can cause Rickets disease. Objectives This study aims to predict the percentage of vitamin D deficiency in Egypt. Methods/Case Report A total of 498 subjects were enrolled in this study from the Cairo region in Egypt; 203 (41%) were male, 260 (52%) were female, and 35 (7%) were children with a median age of 36.2 years, 36.7 years and 5.3 years respectively. A fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer (CLIA) was used to measure Vitamin D in all subjects’ specimens. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) The overall prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency was 90.09%. Among the 498 patients, 453 patients (90.09%) were Vitamin D deficient (less than 30 ng/ml), while 45 patients (9.03%) of the patients were within the normal Vitamin D range. It was observed that 192 patients (94.54%) of males,237 patients (91.15%) of females, and 11patients (31.42%) of children were Vitamin D deficient. Furthermore, 11 patients (5.41%) of males, 23 patients (8.84%) of females, and 23 patients 65.71% of children are within the normal Vitamin D range. Conclusion Our findings reveal a significant frequency of vitamin D deficiency in Egypt. Inadequate sun exposure, Insufficient dietary calcium, gastrointestinal disorders, renal diseases, and liver diseases contribute to vitamin D deficiency. We recommend that the Egyptian Health ministry launch an awareness campaign for the severe Vitamin D deficiency in Egypt.

Low 25(OH)D Level Is Associated with Severe Course and Poor Prognosis in COVID-19

We evaluated associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level and severity of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in hospitalized patients. We assessed serum 25(OH)D level in 133 patients aged 21–93 years. Twenty-five (19%) patients had severe disease, 108 patients (81%) had moderate disease, and 18 (14%) patients died. 25(OH)D level ranged from 3.0 to 97.0 ng/mL (median, 13.5 [25%; 75%, 9.6; 23.3] ng/mL). Vitamin D deficiency was diagnosed in 90 patients, including 37 with severe deficiency. In patients with severe course of disease, 25(OH)D level was lower (median, 9.7 [25%; 75%, 6.0; 14.9] ng/mL), and vitamin D deficiency was more common than in patients with moderate course (median, 14.6 [25%; 75%, 10.6; 24.4] ng/mL, p = 0.003). In patients who died, 25(OH)D was 9.6 [25%; 75%, 6.0; 11.5] ng/mL, compared with 14.8 [25%; 75%, 10.1; 24.3] ng/mL in discharged patients (p = 0.001). Severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased risk of COVID-19 severity and fatal outcome. The threshold for 25(OH)D level associated with increased risk of severe course was 11.7 ng/mL. Approximately the same 25(OH)D level, 10.9 ng/mL, was associated with increased risk of mortality. Thus, most COVID-19 patients have vitamin D deficiency; severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of COVID-19 severity and fatal outcome.