Skip to main content

Low Vitamin D Levels Up Risk for COVID-19 Hospitalization

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 31, 2025.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are tied to higher risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19, according to a study published online July 18 in PLOS ONE.

Maria J. Monroy-Iglesias, Ph.D., from King’s College London, and colleagues used data from the U.K. biobank (151,543 individuals with at least one serum vitamin D level measurement at baseline, 2006 to 2010) to assess associations between vitamin D levels and risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization.

The researchers found that vitamin D insufficiency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.97; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.94 to 1.00) and deficiency (aOR, 0.95; 95 percent CI, 0.90 to 0.99) were associated with slightly lower odds of COVID-19 infection. There was variance by race and ethnicity, with Asian and Black participants having higher odds of COVID-19 infection with vitamin D deficiency, while vitamin D insufficiency in White participants was associated with slightly lower odds of COVID-19 infection. Both vitamin D insufficiency (aOR, 1.19; 95 percent CI, 1.08 to 1.32) and deficiency (aOR, 1.44; 95 percent CI, 1.25 to 1.66) were associated with higher odds of COVID-19 hospitalization.

"COVID-19 may not be the threat it once was, but it still affects peoples’ well-being," coauthor Kerri Beckmann, Ph.D., from the University of South Australia in Adelaide, said in a statement. "Understanding who is most at risk helps those individuals take extra precautions, including monitoring their vitamin D levels."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Risk of Long COVID Greater for Individuals With Social Risk Factors

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Individuals with social risk factors at the time of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have increased risk for...

COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Aid Outcomes in Patients With Cancer

TUESDAY, July 29, 2025 -- COVID-19 vaccination boosters protect people with cancer developing from severe COVID-19, according to a study published online July 17 in JAMA...

Consensus Offers Best Practices for Post-COVID-19 Residual Abnormalities on Chest CT

FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 -- In an international multisociety consensus statement, published online July 22 in Radiology, recommendations are presented for computed tomography (CT)...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.