Common cold (Acute Rhinosinusitis) virtually non-existant when Vitamin D is above 50 ng
Association of Vitamin D Status and Acute Rhinosinusitis: Results From the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2006
Medicine: October 2015 - Volume 94 - Issue 40 - p e1447, doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000001447
Khalid, Ayesha N. MD, MBA; Ladha, Karim S. MD; Luong, Amber U. MD, PhD; Quraishi, Sadeq A. MD, MHA, MMSc
Although vitamin D status may be a modifiable risk factor for various respiratory ailments, limited data exists regarding its role in sinonasal infections. Our goal was to investigate the association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels with acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) in a large, nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized individuals from the United States.
In this cross-sectional study of individuals ≥17 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2006, we used multivariable regression analysis to investigate the association of 25OHD levels with ARS,
while adjusting for
season,
demographics
- (age, sex, race, and poverty-to-income ratio), and
- clinical data
- (smoking, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, and neutropenia).
A total of 3921 individuals were included in our analyses. Median 25OHD level was 22 (interquartile range 16–28) ng/mL. Overall, 15.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.4–17.7) of participants reported ARS within the 24 hours leading up to their survey participation. After adjusting for season, demographics, and clinical data, 25OHD levels were associated with ARS ( odds ratio 0.88 , 95% CI 0.78–0.99 per 10 ng/mL).
When vitamin D status was dichotomized, 25OHD levels <20 ng/mL were associated with 33% higher odds of ARS (odds ratio 1.33, 95% CI 1.03–1.72) compared with levels ≥20 ng/mL.
Our analyses suggest that 25OHD levels are inversely associated with ARS. Randomized, controlled trials are warranted to determine the effect of optimizing vitamin D status on the risk of sinonasal infections.
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Study cited 13 times as of Aug 2025
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