| Application: | 15168, Vitamin D status and Musculoskeletal Health in the UK Biobank: Relationships with Genetic Polymorphisms, Diet, Gender and Lifestyle Factors in South Asian and Caucasian Populations |
| Title: | Vitamin D concentration, body mass index, ethnicity and SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19: initial analysis of the first- reported UK Biobank Cohort positive cases (n 1474) compared with negative controls (n 4643) |
| Size: | 178091 B |
| Archived: | 30 Sep 2021 |
| Stability: | Complete |
| Personal: | No individual-level data |
Return 3907
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Notes
We looked at the association between vitamin D levels, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity and other lifestyle factors in the UK Biobank SARS-CoV-2 dataset (as of 22nd April 2020). This included 580 people who tested positive and 723 people who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. Those who tested positive included those who had been hospitalised as well as those who had not. All participants were from England only. The average age was 57.5 years in those testing positive and 57.9 years in those testing negative.Average (median) vitamin D level was similar in those who tested positive (43.3 nmol/L) compared to those who tested negative (44.1 nmol/L). There was no difference in vitamin D levels between women and men. However, vitamin D levels were lower in those with obesity by 9 nmol/L compared with those of normal or overweight. Vitamin D levels were also lower by 16 nmol/L in those of Asian, Black and Mixed ethnicity compared with those of White ethnicity.
Mathematical models suggested that being overweight or obese, living in London, being male and being of Asian, Black or Mixed ethnicity was associated with a higher likelihood of testing positive. This confirms clinical observations reported in the media. Being a regular smoker (smoking on all or most days) was associated with a reduced odds of testing positive, but the number of smokers was small, which may have distorted the results.
Overall, we found that vitamin D levels were not associated with likelihood of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. However, higher body mass index and Black, Asian, or Mixed ethnicity may be contributory factors to testing positive.
Application 15168
Vitamin D status and Musculoskeletal Health in the UK Biobank: Relationships with Genetic Polymorphisms, Diet, Gender and Lifestyle Factors in South Asian and Caucasian Populations
We will ask the following questions: How much do people?s genes affect how much vitamin D people have, and which genes are the most important influencers of vitamin D? Also, which is more important in determining vitamin D levels, a person?s genes or other factors (e.g. diet, lifestyle, gender, ethnicity)? Adequate vitamin D levels are required for healthy bones, but it is unclear to what degree vitamin D status, diet, gender, lifestyle, ethnicity and genes affect how strong people?s bones are, and how likely they are to get osteoporosis (weak bones) and/or a bone fracture. This study meets the purpose of the UK Biobank as Vitamin D deficiency and fractures are very common, are very debilitating to the person and are costly to the NHS. It has been estimated that eradication of vitamin D deficiency in Western Europe would save society 10,000 million Euros per year1. Hip fracture treatment currently costs the UK £1.9 billion2, even without the very high associated cost of after-care. Therefore, it is in the UK public interest that the above questions are answered, in order that vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis and associated bone fractures can be prevented. Most scientific research attempting to answer these questions has focussed on White Caucasian women, and there is a lack of data in other ethnic groups, such as South Asian men and women, as well as a lack of data in White Caucasian men. Therefore, in our study we will focus mainly on these understudied groups. We will use mathematical methods to look for patterns in the UK Biobank data to answer the above questions, This research will use data already in the UK Biobank database and so we will not need to access stored biological samples. Subset- All subjects of South Asian ethnicity (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi)and White ethnicity (British/Irish and other White ethnicity).
| Lead investigator: | Professor Susan Lanham-New |
| Lead institution: | University of Surrey |
3 related Returns
| Return ID | App ID | Description | Archive Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3905 | 15168 | Very high prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in 6433 UK South Asian adults: analysis of the UK Biobank Cohort | 30 Sep 2021 |
| 4289 | 15168 | Vitamin D Status of the British African-Caribbean Residents: Analysis of the UK Biobank Cohort | 19 Jan 2022 |
| 2865 | 15168 | Vitamin D supplement use and associated demographic, dietary and lifestyle factors in 8024 South Asians aged 40-69 years: analysis of the UK Biobank cohort | 24 Nov 2020 |
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