A recent study conducted by Waikato Hospital and the Universities of Waikato and Otago, found out that adult patients with pneumonia have more chances to die if they have Vitamin D deficiency. The vitamin is related to the innate immune response of the body to infections.

The researchers measured the levels of vitamin D in the blood samples of 112 adult patients during the winter. The patients were admitted with community acquired pneumonia in Hamilton, New Zealand. The conclusions were that Vitamin D deficiency was highly associated with higher mortality during the first 30 days in the hospital, after admission for pneumonia. The link between vitamin D deficiencies wasn’t explained by any known prognostic factor, such as sex, patient’s age, co-morbidities or the severity of the systemic inflammatory.

As the main source of vitamin D is sunlight exposure, the lack of sunlight during the winter might also contribute to the boost in pneumonia cases during this time. Research’s authors also hypothesized that levels of antimicrobial peptides cathelicidin and beta-defensin-2 can be associated with vitamin D concentrations and 30-day mortality

The scientists now believe that improving the knowledge about Vitamin D and its role in immunity will lead to more accurate ways to treat and even prevent pneumonia.