Elderly get worse respiratory infections — low vitamin D and aging gut bacteria may combine - review

Aging and Viral Respiratory Infections: Focus on Vitamin D and Microbiota

BioMed Research Int. (formerly Hindawi), Sept 2026; https://doi.org/10.1155/bmri/8581187 IRAN

image

image

Viral respiratory infections in older adults tend to be more severe and linked to increased mortality. Factors such as lung aging and changes in its structure and function; aging of the immune system and decrease in its function with age; and inflammaging, the accumulation of senescent cells with age with senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) (is a secretory profile that includes the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, chemokines, and matrix-metalloproteinases) leads to an increase in the susceptibility and vulnerability of older adults to respiratory infections.

Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, including rising rates of vitamin D deficiency, can also exacerbate respiratory infections in older adults. Vitamin D plays a role in maintaining epithelial integrity and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Vitamin D enhances innate immune responses and suppresses adaptive immune responses, thereby restoring the immune system to homeostasis.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation, and higher vitamin D levels are associated with greater abundance of beneficial, protective microbiota against respiratory infections. A more profound comprehension of the advantageous impacts of vitamin D in respiratory viral infections, particularly the relationship between vitamin D and the microbiota, will provide new perspectives on the importance of vitamin D assessment and standardization.

PDF

Related in VitaminDWiki