Vitamin D and Lung Outcomes in Elderly COVID-19 Patients

Vitamin D deficiency is frequently reported in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to correlate the 25OH-Vitamin D serum concentrations with clinical parameters of lung involvement, in elderly patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sixty-five consecutive COVID-19 patients (mean age 76 ± 13 years) and sixty-five sex- and age-matched control subjects (CNT) were analyzed. The following clinical parameters, including comorbidities, were collected at admission: type of pulmonary involvement, respiratory parameters (PaO, SO, PaCO, PaO/FiO), laboratory parameters (including 25OH-vitamin D, D-dimer, C-reactive protein). Significantly lower vitamin D serum levels were found in COVID-19 patients than in CNT (median 7.9 vs 16.3 ng/mL, = 0.001). Interestingly, a statistically significant positive correlation was observed between vitamin D serum levels and PaO ( = 0.03), SO ( = 0.05), PaO/FiO ( = 0.02), while a statistically significant negative correlation was found between vitamin D serum levels and D-dimer ( = 0.04), C-reactive protein ( = 0.04) and percentage of O in a venturi mask ( = 0.04). A negative correlation was also observed between vitamin D serum levels and severity of radiologic pulmonary involvement, evaluated by computed tomography: in particular, vitamin D was found significantly lower in COVID-19 patients with either multiple lung consolidations ( = 0.0001) or diffuse/severe interstitial lung involvement than in those with mild involvement ( = 0.05). Finally, significantly lower vitamin D serum levels were found in the elderly COVID-19 patients who died during hospitalization, compared to those who survived (median 3.0 vs 8.4 ng/mL, = 0.046). This study confirms that 25OH-vitamin D serum deficiency is associated with more severe lung involvement, longer disease duration and risk of death, in elderly COVID-19 patients. The detection of low vitamin D levels also in younger COVID-19 patients with less comorbidities further suggests vitamin D deficiency as crucial risk factor at any age.