P-1586. Safety and Efficacy of Vitamin D3 in the Management of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

TL;DR

This study finds that vitamin D3 may reduce ICU admissions for COVID-19 but does not significantly affect other outcomes like hospital stay or oxygen use.

Contribution

The study provides new evidence on vitamin D3's potential to reduce ICU admissions in COVID-19 patients.

Findings

Vitamin D3 was associated with a significant reduction in ICU admissions (RR = 0.76).

No significant effects were observed for hospital stay, oxygen supplementation, or mechanical ventilation.

Inflammatory biomarkers showed no significant differences between groups.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound global impact, resulting in millions of deaths and major disruptions to daily life. This has prompted the investigation of various therapeutic agents, including vitamin D3, due to its potential immunomodulatory effects. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of vitamin D3 in the management of COVID-19.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase up to March 2025. Primary outcomes included length of hospital stay, ICU admission, ICU length of stay, need for oxygen supplementation, and need for mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes included inflammatory markers ( C-Reactive Protein(CRP), D-dimer,Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and ferritin).

Seventeen randomized controlled trials with a total of 2,762 patients were included. Vitamin D3 was not associated with a significant reduction in hospital stay (MD = -0.26, 95% CI [-1.63 to 1.11], P = 0.71), oxygen supplementation (RR = 0.97, 95% CI [0.83 to 1.15], P = 0.75), or mechanical ventilation (RR = 0.88, 95% CI [0.66 to 1.17], P = 0.38). However, a significant reduction in ICU admissions was observed in the vitamin D3 group (RR = 0.76, 95% CI [0.58 to 0.99], P = 0.04). There was no significant difference in ICU length of stay (MD = 0.45, 95% CI [-1.78 to 2.67], P = 0.69). No significant differences were found in inflammatory biomarkers between the groups.

Vitamin D3 supplementation may reduce ICU admissions in patients with COVID-19, though no significant effects were observed for other clinical or laboratory outcomes. Subgroup analyses suggest a potential reduction in hospital stay, warranting further high-quality research.

All Authors: No reported disclosures

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