Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients taking blood thinners, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024, held May 18-21 in Washington, DC. It is said that it may increase the risk.1
Yellow capsule representing the sun, source of vitamin D / Illisca – Stock.adobe.com
Previous studies have shown that vitamin D, an essential vitamin that can be obtained from sunlight, some food sources, and supplements,2—May play a role in regulating thrombotic and antithrombotic mechanisms as well as improving endothelial function. To add to the growing clinical literature and understand the interplay between vitamin D, blood clotting, and bleeding risk, researchers investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and GIB in patients using blood thinners. We conducted a retrospective analysis to investigate.
Researchers used the Epic Cosmos electronic database to study 2,878,278 patients with vitamin D deficiency who were taking anticoagulants between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2024. , evaluated data on 16,290,436 patients taking anticoagulants without vitamin D deficiency. Patient data were further categorized by various anticoagulant categories, including aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, and direct oral anticoagulants.
Read more: Pharmacist-led interventions could help reduce rates of inappropriate aspirin use
To isolate the specific effects of vitamin D deficiency on blood clotting, the researchers evaluated the data both before and after excluding patients with potential confounders. These factors include end-stage renal disease, use of proton pump inhibitors/histamine 2 blockers, and current smoking history.
Notably, the rate of GIB was almost twice as high in the group with vitamin D deficiency (8.08%) compared to the group without vitamin D deficiency (4.76%), and there was an association between vitamin D deficiency and increased bleeding risk. It is suggested that there is a possibility. Similar trends were observed across different anticoagulant categories, further reinforcing the suggestion that this association may not be specific to any particular anticoagulant.
Even after excluding patients with potential confounders, the association between vitamin D deficiency and higher risk of GIB persisted. Odds ratios, confidence intervals, and P values were statistically significant for all comparisons (P < .00001).
Although the researchers observed an association between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of GIB in patients taking anticoagulants, causation cannot be established because the study was retrospective. The specific effects of vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D supplementation on the development of GIB require further research. However, the findings may raise awareness among both patients and healthcare providers about vitamin D deficiency as a potential contributor to bleeding risk and lead to more individualized treatment approaches for patients taking anticoagulants.
For more information on Digestive Disease Week 2024 coverage, click here
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