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Vitamin D concentrations and COVID-19 infection in UK Biobank
Claire E Hastie1, Daniel F Mackay1, Frederick Ho1
1Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, 1 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8RZ, UK.
Insights
This study found no link between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 risk. Vitamin D levels also did not explain higher COVID-19 incidence in Black and South Asian individuals.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- COVID-19 disproportionately affects ethnic minority groups.
- Low vitamin D levels are also more prevalent in these populations.
- The relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19 risk, particularly concerning ethnic disparities, requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration is associated with COVID-19 risk.
- To investigate whether 25(OH)D concentration explains the higher incidence of COVID-19 in Black and South Asian individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized UK Biobank data from over 348,000 participants.
- Analyzed baseline 25(OH)D concentration and ethnicity data.
- Employed logistic regression to assess associations with COVID-19 infection.
Main Results:
- Univariable analysis showed an association between vitamin D and COVID-19 (OR=0.99), but this was not significant after adjusting for confounders (OR=1.00).
- Significant univariable associations were found between ethnicity and COVID-19 risk (Blacks vs. Whites OR=5.32; South Asians vs. Whites OR=2.65).
- Adjusting for 25(OH)D concentration minimally impacted the ethnic disparities in COVID-19 risk.
Conclusions:
- The study does not support a link between vitamin D concentrations and COVID-19 infection risk.
- Vitamin D concentration does not appear to explain ethnic differences observed in COVID-19 infection rates.
Background And Aims:
COVID-19 and low levels of vitamin D appear to disproportionately affect black and minority ethnic individuals. We aimed to establish whether blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration was associated with COVID-19 risk, and whether it explained the higher incidence of COVID-19 in black and South Asian people.
Methods:
UK Biobank recruited 502,624 participants aged 37-73 years between 2006 and 2010. Baseline exposure data, including 25(OH)D concentration and ethnicity, were linked to COVID-19 test results. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed for the association between 25(OH)D and confirmed COVID-19, and the association between ethnicity and both 25(OH)D and COVID-19.
Results:
Complete data were available for 348,598 UK Biobank participants. Of these, 449 had confirmed COVID-19 infection. Vitamin D was associated with COVID-19 infection univariably (OR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.99-0.999; p = 0.013), but not after adjustment for confounders (OR = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.998-1.01; p = 0.208). Ethnicity was associated with COVID-19 infection univariably (blacks versus whites OR = 5.32, 95% CI = 3.68-7.70, p-value<0.001; South Asians versus whites OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.65-4.25, p-value<0.001). Adjustment for 25(OH)D concentration made little difference to the magnitude of the association.
Conclusions:
Our findings do not support a potential link between vitamin D concentrations and risk of COVID-19 infection, nor that vitamin D concentration may explain ethnic differences in COVID-19 infection.