We’ve known for years that vitamin D levels are lower in people of color. Researchers from Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center studied women from the Black Women’s Longitudinal Study started in 1995 and following nearly 60,000 women ages 21 through 69.

Participants periodically get questions about their health, their weight, whether they’ve developed hypertension, heart disease, cancer and, more recently, whether or not they got COVID.

They discovered that Black women who had deficient levels of vitamin D had a 70% greater risk of getting COVID. The outcome was strongest with those women who were overweight. That may explain why African American women seem to have more COVID than others.

We know other factors figure into getting COVID, such as how many live in your household, whether or not you completed high school and whether you live in a lower socioeconomic community. But that, along with other similar results for whites, shows that having enough vitamin D is important to protect you from COVID.

When you look at how vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis — with other controversial studies showing it may reduce heart disease and cancer — the only question is, why not take it?

My spin: Vitamin D, 2,000 units a day, has no downside and may be good for your health, especially if you’re African American or a person of color at risk for low vitamin D levels.

Dear Doc: Years ago, I received a prescription for Viagra. I never filled it because it cost too much. I’ve heard from the guys I golf with that it’s much cheaper now. I’d like to try it, but I don’t want to pay through the nose. How can I do that? And is it worth it?

— A.J., from Stevens Point

Dear A.J.: Viagra and Cialis used to be $30 a tablet, but now with a goodrx.com coupon you can buy it for about 50 cents each. That’s quite a savings.

Side effects include stuffy nose, upset stomach, headaches and, for some, white fluorescent light bulbs have a blue tint.

Now, taking it doesn’t mean you’ll turn back the clock to when you were in your 20s. But with the right stimulation, this class of drugs called phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors can increase the blood flow to the penis.

My spin: Now that Viagra is inexpensive, if you’re a man who’s had some issues getting or maintaining an erection, you should ask your doctor for a prescription.

And while we’re on the subject of male health, let me chime in on testosterone. A landmark study of nearly 800 men 65 and older published in the New England Journal of Medicine took these older men and elevated their testosterone to the level of men typically 19 to 40.

That action did show there was an increase in sexual activity and sexual desire with a slight increase in erectile function. When it came to exercise, such as walking, there was absolutely no significant increase in that or other muscle strength. And it had no benefit in making those men feel more vital and energetic or less fatigued.

The downside here is that some researchers speculate increasing men to this “inappropriate level” of testosterone can lead to heart attacks and strokes, similar to what we see when body builders take steroids. Testosterone is a potent steroid.

My spin: Testosterone is not all it’s cracked up to be. If you’re a man who has some sexual dysfunction and wants to improve it, Viagra or Cialis is the way to go. Not testosterone. Stay well.