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March 27, 2009 - A significant decrease in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels has led to an increase in vitamin D insufficiency in the US population, especially in racial and ethnic groups, according to results of a population-based study reported in the March 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. "Vitamin D insufficiency has been associated with increases in cardiovascular disease, cancer, and infection," write Adit A. Ginde, MD, from the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, and colleagues. "Vitamin D supplementation appears to mitigate the incidence and adverse outcomes of these diseases and may reduce all-cause mortality." [...] "These findings have important implications for health disparities and public health," the study authors conclude. "Our data provide additional evidence that current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation (200-600 IU/d) are inadequate to achieve optimal serum 25(OH)D levels in most of the US population." They add that large, randomized controlled trials of higher doses of vitamin D supplementation are needed to evaluate their effect on general health and mortality.

MedWire News: Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) play a role in prostate cancer disease progression and are a potential prognostic indicator, Norwegian study findings suggest.

Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations are negatively correlated with serum 25(OH)D concentrations in healthy women. Peterson CA, Heffernan ME. J Inflamm (Lond). 2008 Jul 24;5:10. PMID: 18652680 doi:10.1186/1476-9255-5-10 Conclusion Serum 25(OH)D status is inversely related to TNF-α concentrations in healthy women, which may in part explain this vitamin's role in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases. Results gleaned from this investigation also support the need to re-examine the biological basis for determining optimal vitamin D status.

The same annual dose of 292 000 IU of vitamin D(3) (cholecalciferol) on either daily or four monthly basis for elderly women: 1-year comparative study of the effects on serum 25(OH)D(3) concentrations and renal function. Pekkarinen T, Välimäki VV, Aarum S, Turpeinen U, Hämäläinen E, Löyttyniemi E, Välimäki MJ. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009 May 25. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19486025 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03637.x

Vieth R.Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety.Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 May;69(5):842-56. Review.PMID: 10232622 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Vitamin D and Cancer Mini-Symposium: The Risk of Additional Vitamin D. Vieth R. Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Apr 11. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19364661 doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2009.01.009   

Low vitamin d levels predict stroke in patients referred to coronary angiography.\nPilz S, Dobnig H, Fischer JE, Wellnitz B, Seelhorst U, Boehm BO, März W.\nStroke. 2008 Sep;39(9):2611-3. Epub 2008 Jul 17.\nPMID: 18635847 \ndoi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.107.513655

Vitamin D's days of obscurity seem pretty much over. Once just an afterthought to most people-relegated to the sides of milk cartons and the pages of medical texts-it's now on the cusp of becoming a full-fledged disease prevention star. Although vitamin D has long been known as an important factor in bone health, a quickly growing body of evidence now shows that it may also help lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and even premature death.[1], [2] Not surprisingly, scientists and the public have started to take note, particularly of vitamin D's potential to protect against cancer

Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis. Raghuwanshi A, Joshi SS, Christakos S. J Cell Biochem. 2008 Oct 1;105(2):338-43. Review. PMID: 18655192

Vitamin D and cancer. Ali MM, Vaidya V. J Cancer Res Ther. 2007 Oct-Dec;3(4):225-30. Review. PMID: 18270398 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1482.38998