Low Vitamin D Means High Hospitalization Rate for Lung Infections

Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this study examined whether vitamin D levels in the blood are linked to the risk of serious respiratory infections requiring hospital admission. Researchers used data from the UK Biobank, a large long-term health database, focusing on over 36,000 adults from different ethnic backgrounds across the United Kingdom. They compared people’s vitamin D status – measured as 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood – with their likelihood of being hospitalized for infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, or severe flu over time.

The results showed a clear pattern: people with higher vitamin D levels tended to have a lower risk of severe respiratory infections. For every small increase in vitamin D, the risk of hospital admission dropped slightly. Most notably, individuals with very low levels (below 15 nmol/L) had a 33 percent higher risk of being hospitalized compared to those with higher levels (75 nmol/L or above). The findings suggest that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels may help reduce the risk of severe respiratory infections, particularly in people who are deficient.

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