Low Vitamin D = Double risk of hospitalization

A new study published by the AMA (American Medical Association) looked at patients for whom vitamin D status was known for the prior year. This is not unusual. You can look at your most recent panel performed by your physician and a vitamin D level should be present.

This study was interesting because they observed close to 500 patients who were admitted into the hospital due to COVID-19 complications. The particular patients admitted into the study were tested positive for COVID and those for whom the hospital had the prior year’s vitamin D status.

The researchers wanted to see if there was any correlation between vitamin D status and the need to be hospitalized due to COVID-19.

Many studies demonstrate the protective nature of vitamin D3

We have discussed on this site the many protective aspects of a healthy vitamin D status. Once COVID-19 descended upon us I wrote several blogs on the additional benefit of vitamin D3 to protect the lungs, a vulnerable organ with COVID-19.

As I write this our President was recently diagnosed with COVID and I was gratified to see that he too was on vitamin D in addition to other natural therapies we support such as zinc and melatonin. We have discussed the benefits of all of these since the very early days of the pandemic.

Correlation clear between low vitamin D & need for hospitalization

In this study patients entering with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis who required hospitalization were made a part of the study if prior vitamin D was known from the prior year.

Their conclusions were that those found to be deficient in vitamin D were 1.77 times as likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 and require hospitalization.

This is a risk factor of close to double. Meaning, that a healthy vitamin D status was deemed protective of a positive COVID-19 patient not requiring hospitalization.

And of course, the contrary, that vitamin D3 deficient were twice as likely to have a negative outcome and require hospitalization.

Sadly, the majority of Americans are deficient

If your vitamin D3 status is not ideal, meaning below 50 ng/mL, you are in very good company, but sadly not a healthy company.

Deficiency and insufficiency is almost an epidemic in our country.

The solution is easy

Fortunately, taking vitamin D3 is easy and inexpensive.

It is important to test your levels and maintain them. For some, genetic “snips” as they are called, make absorption of standard vitamin D3 difficult. We can discover this by having you take a good quality supplement and observing if your levels increase as they should.

Should your levels not arise appropriately we can figure out the cause. If you do fall into the category of requiring a form of vitamin D that is more bio-available, it is an easy fix.

But you must find out if there is something preventing you from attaining an optimal level of vitamin D. Our current situation with COVID-19 has brought to light another facet of vitamin D’s ability to defend you against disease, but appreciate that vitamin D’s long list of “assets” is not new to us.

It is critical for your health and for those you love that you attain and maintain an optimal vitamin D status. Please do not fail to look into this for yourself.

Should your doctor tell you your level is “fine” when it is 20+ but not in the 40s or 50s, that is poor advice. Optimal vitamin D3 levels are about 50 ng/ mL.

Do you need help strengthening your immune system?

If your health status is not to the level you desire, we are happy to assist you. We have the tools to discover exactly why you are having trouble.

It is not difficult as long as you are ready to make some dietary and lifestyle changes. If that sounds daunting, do not worry. We will hold your hand through the changes and make each step of change an easy one.