Low vitamin D tracks sepsis risk, but supplementation benefits remain inconsistent
An umbrella review linked deficiency with worse sepsis outcomes across age groups. Supplementation studies did not show consistent reductions in sepsis risk or deaths.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Vitamin D deficiency was associated with sepsis, more severe illness, and higher mortality in the reviewed evidence. Supplementation did not consistently reduce sepsis risk or deaths. These are distinct questions: identifying a marker linked with poor outcomes does not establish that changing the marker will improve outcomes once sepsis is present.
Primary studies overlapped across reviews, and the evidence was too varied for quantitative pooling. The abstract provides no effect estimates or detailed supplementation comparisons, limiting assessment of benefit size and uncertainty.
What the review combined
The authors brought together reviews covering vitamin D levels, variation in the vitamin D receptor gene, and supplementation. They considered sepsis occurrence, severity, and survival across age groups, rather than testing a single treatment in a new trial.
Why association is insufficient
Deficiency may help identify people with worse outcomes, but the reported associations do not establish causation. The supplementation findings did not provide consistent evidence of treatment benefit, which is also different from proving that all supplementation has no effect.
The original publication
Vitamin D Status and Sepsis Outcomes: A PRISMA-Compliant Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis.
Castro-Luna G, Gómez Galera H, Sánchez Martínez M et al.
Nutrients · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41830039
- Record checked
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