LABORATORY EVALUATION OF VITAMIN D BEFORE AND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN INDIVIDUALS IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON
Keywords
Abstract
During the pandemic, vitamin D was widely consumed as a prevention strategy against COVID-19 due to its role in immunity. However, this practice has increased cases of hypervitaminosis D and toxicity, especially in the elderly, who are more likely to use supplements to strengthen the immune system. This study analyzes vitamin D levels in individuals in the Brazilian Amazon before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, observing variation in levels due to increased supplementation or reduction by recommended isolation to reduce transmission of SARS-COV2. This is a retrospective study, based on a database of a laboratory medicine unit, in Belém-PA, in two periods: before the pandemic, data recorded until 2019, and during the pandemic data from 2020-2023. The research compared vitamin D levels between different age groups and sex, observing a significant increase in values above the safe limit in people aged 60 and over, a group that showed a greater tendency to toxicity. The results show the need for monitoring and medical guidance in the use of supplements, highlighting the potential adverse impact of self-medication.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Davi Silveira de Siqueira, Leonardo Deyvid Lima Veras, Gabriel Nicolas Nunes Lemos, Isabella dos Santos Sampaio, Elza Cláudia Fragoso Oliveira, Isabella Pinheiro Costa do Amaral, Gergiane Lopes Vaz, Antonio Carlos Rosário Vallinoto, Cléa Nazaré Carneiro Bichara, Carlos David Araújo BicharaAuthor(s)
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Davi Silveira de Siqueira
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Leonardo Deyvid Lima Veras
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Gabriel Nicolas Nunes Lemos
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Isabella dos Santos Sampaio
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Elza Cláudia Fragoso Oliveira
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Isabella Pinheiro Costa do Amaral
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Gergiane Lopes Vaz
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Antonio Carlos Rosário Vallinoto
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Cléa Nazaré Carneiro Bichara
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Carlos David Araújo Bichara