Cholesterol: A new game player accelerating vasculopathy caused by SARS-CoV-2?

[TedHutchinson]

Cholesterol: A new game player accelerating vasculopathy caused by SARS-CoV-2

We recently found that the decreased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterols (LDL-c) correlate with disease severity in COVID-19 patients, indicating pathological interactions between dyslipidemia and vasculopothy in patients with COVID-19. However, this clinical manifestation has been unintentionally underestimated by physicians and scientific communities.
As metabolic-associated morbidities are generally accompanied with endothelial cell dysfunctions, these pre-existing conditions may make ECs more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 attack

Low cholesterol like low vitamin d status is a risk factor for worse covid outcomes. Reliance on statins is going to kill many people by reducing their cholesterol levels too much.


If we want to resolve endothelial cell dysfunction (erectile dysfunction is a direct consequence of failure to prevent endothelial dysfunction) we have to maintain vitamin d status over 50ng/ml 125nmol/l with DAILY effective strength cholecalciferol or an equivalent amount of daily midday (solar noon) sun exposure (when shadow is shorter than height) or UVB from UVB producing tanning tubes.

[Sarah(sjc)]

It’s a bit above my head tbh, but I’m not sure if they are saying low cholesterol is a cause or effect of severe COVID-19 (among other infections)?

[Gilli]

It’s a bit above my head tbh, but I’m not sure if they are saying low cholesterol is a cause or effect of severe COVID-19 (among other infections)?

I think they are saying that cholesterol is used up by the virus when it goes about its business of entering cells. Their thinking seems to be that lowering cholesterol artificially by administration of statins may hinder the business of the virus. I am worrying that lowering cholesterol might make the problem worse for the patient, but hey, what do I know?

[Sarah(sjc)]

It would be interesting to see if there were correlations between statin use and severe COVID. It’s well documented that the body produces cholesterol in response to illness. Maybe it can’t produce sufficient for SARS

[TedHutchinson]

This article shows that Covid patients with low LDL have a worse outcome in their disease than those with higher LDL.
Low-density lipoprotein is a potential predictor of poor prognosis in patients with coronavirus disease 2019

There are better ways of reducing hypertension that statin therapy.

We know raising 25(OH)D levels reduces systolic BP −1.4 mm Hg for each additional 1000 U/d of cholecalciferol but most people are not taking sufficient daily.

[Stephen B]

I don't usually take Vit D during winter because the last time I had my blood level checked it was 42ng/mL. That was at the end of March before any significant sunshine could have produced any and without supplementing. I'm taking 4,000iu per day this year though for obvious reasons.

Thanks for the link Ted.

[TedHutchinson]

I don't usually take Vit D during winter because the last time I had my blood level checked it was 42ng/mL.

Unless your vitamin d was tested in the USA you result should be been reported as nmol/l
Most UK adults are below 50nmol/l in December and drop to below 40 before March when (depending on the amount of sunshine) levels start to rise again.

The worst effects of covid-19 infections are experienced by those with vitamin d levels below 100nmol/l and 125nmol/l gives you an even greater safety margin as the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines is optimized at 50ng/ml 125nmol/l.
As it's often a covid-induced cytokine-storm that is the final killer it's safer to be above 125nmol/l throughout the year.

You can see why the UK has such a high covid death rate because none of us, (except those who can afford a winter sun break on a tropical island or who take EFFECTIVE amounts of vitamin d daily) because our levels at the end of summer are still only around 75nmol/l 30ng/ml and it's only above 100nmol/l that people start to retain the basic cholecalciferol vitamin d3 form in serum (half-life in serum 24hrs).

In serum cholecalciferol is stabilising the endothelial glycocalx which forms the protective barrier lining all our blood vessels.

[Stephen B]

Only just spotted your reply Ted.

It was ng/mL. I did the conversion myself.

[Hoffi coffi]

That's fascinating and only makes me more relieved that my OH avoided taking them

[TedHutchinson]

Only just spotted your reply Ted.

It was ng/mL. I did the conversion myself.

Well that's almost fine. It's still worth taking some vitamin d3 daily to get a little bit higher while covid is about.
COVID-19 is, in the end, an endothelial disease Kendrick has also blogged on this aspect of covid.
And as those who follow my posts will be aware the basic cholecalciferol form has to be available in serum all the time (half-life cholecalciferol in serum =24hrs) so we need daily vitamin d3 (which is not available from sunlight until March 2021) from supplements, food sources not sufficient to keep 25(OH)D above the 46ng/ml 115nmol/l level at which free cholecalciferol in significant amount is measurable in serum see chart below most of the blue spots have reasonable amounts of cholecalciferol in serum (and in breastmilk as Hollis and Wagner were also measuring that)

Why having cholecalciferol present in serum throughout the circulatory system is that it is providing the signalling that inhibits the production of excess pro-inflammatory cytokines that can create a covid induced cytokine storm that ends the life of many covid victims.
This is the paper that demonstrated that cholecalciferol is not inert in that basic form though you will still find many new vitamin d papers that perpetuate that myth.
Dietary Vitamin D and Its Metabolites Non-Genomically Stabilize the Endothelium
But as the title of the paper says cholecalciferol is also stabilising the endothelial lining of all our blood vessels and that barrier function is absolutely crucial.
Most chronic conditions involve endothelial dsyfunction which is why erectyle dysfunction (a direct consequence of endothelial dysfunction) should be a major concern for all males.