Abstract
BackgroundThe role of vitamin D on the risk and clinical outcomes of sepsis remains incompletely elucidated.ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and the risk of incident sepsis, and to evaluate its relationship with 28-day, 60-day, and 1-year mortality.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, we analyzed data from the UK Biobank. The association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and sepsis incidence was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and restricted cubic spline analyses.ResultsOver a mean follow-up of 14 years, 15,452 incident sepsis cases were documented. A negative and nonlinear association was observed between serum 25(OH)D levels and sepsis risk. Compared with participants whose 25(OH)D levels were > 20 ng/mL, those with levels < 10 ng/mL exhibited an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.28 (1.22-1.34) for sepsis. This association was stronger among women and participants with a BMI < 25 kg/m2. Furthermore, participants with 25(OH)D < 10 ng/mL had significantly higher mortality than those with 25(OH)D > 20 ng/mL, with adjusted HRs of 1.14 (1.02-1.27) for 28-day mortality, 1.11 (1.01-1.23) for 60-day mortality, and 1.10 (1.02-1.19) for 1-year mortality.ConclusionLower serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with an increased incidence of sepsis and higher mortality.</p>