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Vitamin D status linked to mortality rate in intensive care patients

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Blood testing to measure vitamin D levels may play an important role in preserving the health of patients in intensive care units, as a new study has found that these patients live shorter lives when they have vitamin D deficiencies.

For the study, investigators from Tel Aviv University analyzed blood test samples from 130 patients in intensive care wards in university-affiliated hospitals. They found that individuals with deficient levels of vitamin D lived 8.9 fewer days than those with sufficient levels.

The researchers said that helping intensive care patients get more sun exposure, which boosts vitamin D levels, or providing them with nutritional supplements containing the nutrient may have a number of benefits.

However, they added that individuals shouldn't wait until they are hospitalized to start paying attention to their vitamin D levels. Taking steps to improve nutritional status prior to becoming ill may help improve survival when an injury or disease does strike.

Furthermore, the researchers pointed out that other studies have connected vitamin D to a range of health benefits, which provides even more reason to seek to improve nutritional status.