COVID-19: the older adult and the importance of vitamin D sufficiency. (2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Shea, Paula M.; Griffin, Tomás P.; Brennan, Michelle; Mulkerrin, Eamon C.
• Is Part Of: Journal of nutritional science. Volume 9(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020
• Subjects: COVID-19, -- Vitamin D sufficiency, -- Vitamin D deficiency, -- Older adult; Nutrition -- Periodicals; 612.305
• DOI: 10.1017/jns.2020.36
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2048-6790

Abstract

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.