"Osteoporoosin aiheuttama luun haurastuminen ja siihen liittyvät luunmurtumat ovat jo nyt kansanterveydellisesti merkittävä ongelma. Lähes puolet yli 50-vuotiaista naisista tulee loppuelämänsä aikana saamaan jonkin osteoporoottisen luunmurtuman. Suomessa arvioidaan olevan n. 400 000 osteoporoosia sairastavaa potilasta, osteoporoottisia murtumia Suomessa syntyy n. 40 000 vuosittain, näistä lonkkamurtumia on n. 8000. Lonkkamurtumien määrän ennustetaan lähes kolminkertaistuvan vuoteen 2030 mennessä. Luuta muodostetaan ja hajotetaan läpi koko elämän. Kasvukauden ajan uutta luuta muodostuu enemmin kuin hajoaa. Luut saavuttavat perintötekijöiden määräämän huippumassansas suotuisissa ympäristöolosuhteissa noin 20-vuoden iässä. Terveellä aikuisella luun määrä pysyy vakiona, jos elintavat ovat terveelliset. Vaihdevuosi-ikää lähestyttäessä luun määrä alkaa naisella vähentyä, miehilläkin luun määrä vähenee ikääntymisen myötä. Kun luuntiheys on DEXA-mittauksessa n. 25-30 prosenttia alle nuoren aikuisen keskimääräisen luuntiheyden, on diagnoosina osteoporoosi ( T-score

"November 24, 2009 | Lisa Nainggolan Orlando, FL - Inadequate levels of vitamin D are associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease and death, a new observational study has found. Dr Tami L Bair (Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, UT) reported the findings here at the American Heart Association 2009 Scientific Sessions. Bair and colleagues followed more than 27 000 people 50 years or older with no history of cardiovascular disease for just over a year and found that those with very low levels of vitamin D (30 ng/mL). Those deficient in vitamin D were also twice as likely to develop heart failure as those with normal levels. "We concluded that even a moderate deficiency of vitamin D was associated with developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and death," said coauthor Dr Heidi May (Intermountain Medical Center). However, "it is not known whether this is a cause and effect relationship," she told heartwire. Because this study was observational, more research is needed "to better establish the association between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease," she noted."

D-vitamiinikeskustelu sfnet.keskustelu.terveys -ryhmässä vuodelta 2005. Mukana mm. Matti Narkia ja Juhana Harju. Osa 1

D-vitamiinikeskustelu sfnet.keskustelu.terveys -ryhmässä vuodelta 2005. Mukana mm. Matti Narkia ja Juhana Harju. Osa 3

D-vitamiinikeskustelu sfnet.keskustelu.terveys -ryhmässä vuodelta 2005. Mukana mm. Matti Narkia ja Juhana Harju. Osa 2

Urgent action needed to improve vitamin D status among older people in England! Hirani V, Tull K, Ali A, Mindell J. Age Ageing. 2009 Nov 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19934073 CONCLUSIONS: poor vitamin D status of older people continues to be a public health problem in England. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with many risk factors and poor health outcomes. There is now an urgent need for a uniform policy on assessment and dietary supplementation of vitamin D in older people to prevent poor vitamin D status and its negative consequences

"Naturally, we are all mildly worried about the swine flu (the delayed 'flu' season). Taking Vitamin D will certainly provide several layers of protection for our family and hopefully avert potential complications. Studies show 36% of individuals who are Vitamin D deficient develop respiratory infections"

"Good research is good for medicine. The only thing more important than good research is ethical research. The February 16th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) had a research paper on vitamin D and colon cancer. Was it good research? Was it ethical research? At stake are the lives of 36,000 older American women who agreed to participate in the Women's Health Initiative. "

"Kuopion yliopistossa suunnitellaan laajaa tutkimusta D-vitamiinin terveysvaikutuksista. Vuoden 2011 alussa alkavaksi kaavaillussa tutkimuksessa selvitettäisiin kokeellisesti, onko lisääntyneestä D-vitamiinin määrästä apua sydän- ja verisuonisairauksien sekä syövän ehkäisemisessä. Tällä hetkellä hanke odottaa vielä lopullista rahoitusta, mutta tutkijaryhmä on erittäin toiveikas, että tutkimus päästäisiin aloittamaan suunnitellusti tammikuussa 2011."

Kalsiumaineenvaihdunnan häiriöt ilmenevät hyper- tai hypokalsemiana, hyperkalsiuriana tai luuston aineenvaihduntahäiriöinä (osteoporoosi, osteomalasia, riisitauti, renaalinen osteodystrofia, Pagetin tauti). Epäiltäessä kalsiumaineenvaihdunnan häiriöitä voidaan käyttää seuraavanlaisia tutkimuksia: seerumin ja virtsan kalsium, seerumin ionosoitu kalsium, seerumin fosfaatti, albumiini, alkaalinen fosfataasi ja tarvittaessa sen isoentsyymit, kreatiniini, kloridi ja PTH. PTH:sta on mahdollista määrittää intakti PTH sekä sen keskimolekyyli- ja N-terminaalifragmentti. Luun aineenvaihdunnan biokemiallisia mittareita voidaan käyttää kuvantamaan luun hajoamista ja/tai rakentumista. Luun rakentumisen seerumimarkkereita ovat osteokalsiini ja tyypin 1 prokollageenin aminoterminaalinen propeptidi (PINP). Vastaavasti luunhajoamista kuvastavat virtsan ja seerumin tyypin 1 kollageenin aminoterminaalinen telopeptidi (NTx) sekä seerumin tartraattiresistentti alkalinen fosfataasi (TRAP). Luuston tilaa voidaan selvittää röntgenologisesti natiivikuvin (destruktiot, murtumat ja valemurtumat, resorptio- ja osteoskleroosipesäkkeet). Luun mineraalipitoisuuden määrittämisessä käytetään tiheysmittareita. Koepalan otto luustosta tulee kyseeseen erikoistilanteissa histologisen diagnoosin saamiseksi. Hyperkalsemia Hyperkalsemia on monasti sattumalöydös varsin vähäoireisella epämääräisiä vaivoja valittavalla potilaalla. Tavallisimmat oireet on esitetty taulukossa 1. Tyypillinen hyperkalsemiapotilas on epämääräisistä neuropsykiatrisista oireista kärsivä henkilö. Aikaisemmin tyypilliset munuaiskivipotilaat ovat jäämässä selvään vähemmistöön. Vanhuksilla hyperkalsemia voi aiheuttaa dementian kaltaisen sekavuustilan. Mikäli S-Ca on alle 3 mmol/l, voidaan potilas tutkia rauhassa polikliinisesti. Mikäli arvo sen sijaan on selvästi yli 3 mmol/l ja se vielä nousee perättäisissä mittauksissa, on tutkimuksia kiirehdittävä. Kalsiumarvon

"The latest news, articles and information affecting Vitamins, Supplements and Natural Health. Be kept up to date with timely topics and information"

"Below is a list of summary of actions of Vitamin D (Hormone D)"

Sweat gland epithelial and myoepithelial cells are vitamin D targets. Koike N, Stumpf WE. Exp Dermatol. 2007 Feb;16(2):94-7. PMID: 17222221 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2006.00513.x Nuclear receptor binding of 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (vitamin D) in skin keratinocytes of epidermis, hair sheaths and sebaceous glands was discovered through receptor microscopic autoradiography. Extended experiments with 3H-1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 and its analog 3H-oxacalcitriol (OCT) now demonstrate nuclear receptor binding in sweat gland epithelium of secretory coils and ducts as well as in myoepithelial cells, as studied in paws of nude mice after i.v. injection. The results suggest genomic regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as of secretory and excretory functions, indicating potential therapies for impaired secretion as in hypohidrosis of aged and diseased skin.

Twice single doses of 100,000 IU of vitamin D in winter is adequate and safe for prevention of vitamin D deficiency in healthy children from Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. Tau C, Ciriani V, Scaiola E, Acuña M. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Mar;103(3-5):651-4. Epub 2007 Jan 25. PMID: 17257830 doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2006.12.027 These results disclosed that to prevent vitamin D deficiency for children at zones of risk at the south of our country, double supplementation of 100,000 IU of vitamin D during autumn and winter, would be adequate and safe.

Vitamin D association with estradiol and progesterone in young women. Knight JA, Wong J, Blackmore KM, Raboud JM, Vieth R. Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19916051 Conclusions Higher levels of vitamin D may reduce progesterone and estradiol, providing a potential mechanism for reduction in breast cancer risk from increased vitamin D exposure in young women

Long-term vitamin D3 supplementation may have adverse effects on serum lipids during postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. Heikkinen AM, Tuppurainen MT, Niskanen L, Komulainen M, Penttilä I, Saarikoski S. Eur J Endocrinol. 1997 Nov;137(5):495-502. PMID: 9405029 CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the positive long-term effect of HRT with sequential estradiol valerate and cyproterone acetate on serum lipid concentrations. In addition, the results suggest that vitamin D3 supplementation may have unfavorable effects on lipids in postmenopausal women. Pure vitamin D3 treatment was associated with increased serum LDL cholesterol. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of HRT on serum LDL cholesterol content were reduced when estradiol valerate was combined with vitamin D3. However, the relevance of these associations to cardiovascular morbidity remains to be established.

"Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone. In a national study in 1010 men, to be presented Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association's (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando, researchers say the new findings build on previous studies showing that deficiencies in vitamin D and low levels of estrogen, found naturally in differing amounts in men and women, were independent risk factors for hardened and narrowed arteries and weakened bones. Vitamin D is an essential part to keeping the body healthy, and can be obtained from fortified foods, such as milk and cereals, and by exposure to sunlight.

"Saantisuosituksia muutetaan aikaisintaan vuonna 2012, jolloin Pohjoismaat niitä yhdessä pohtivat. Asiantuntija kuitenkin neuvoo, että nykyisen virallisen suosituksen voi hyvin ylittää, kunhan pysyttelee alle 50 mikrogramman päiväannoksessa. Hyötyä siitä on varsinkin yli kuusikymppisille. Hyvä nyrkkisääntö on Lamberg-Allardtin mukaan 20 mikrogrammaa päivässä aikuisille ja 10 mikrogrammaa pikkulapsille."

The Diet-Heart Hypothesis: Subdividing Lipoproteins Two posts ago, we made the rounds of the commonly measured blood lipids (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) and how they associate with cardiac risk. It's important to keep in mind that many things associate with cardiac risk, not just blood lipids. For example, men with low serum vitamin D are at a 2.4-fold greater risk of heart attack than men with higher D levels. That alone is roughly equivalent to the predictive power of the blood lipids you get measured at the doctor's office. Coronary calcium scans (a measure of blood vessel calcification) also associate with cardiac risk better than the most commonly measured blood lipids. Lipoproteins Can be Subdivided into Several Subcategories In the continual search for better measures of cardiac risk, researchers in the 1980s decided to break down lipoprotein particles into sub-categories. One of these researchers is Dr. Ronald M. Krauss. Krauss published extensively on the association between lipoprotein size and cardiac risk, eventually concluding (source): The plasma lipoprotein profile accompanying a preponderance of small, dense LDL particles (specifically LDL-III) is associated with up to a threefold increase in the susceptibility of developing [coronary artery disease]. This has been demonstrated in case-control studies of myocardial infarction and angiographically documented coronary disease. Krauss found that small, dense LDL (sdLDL) doesn't travel alone: it typically comes along with low HDL and high triglycerides*. He called this combination of factors "lipoprotein pattern B"; its opposite is "lipoprotein pattern A": large, buoyant LDL, high HDL and low triglycerides. Incidentally, low HDL and high triglycerides are hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome, the quintessential modern metabolic disorder. Krauss and his colleagues went on to hypothesize that sdLDL promotes atherosclerosis because of its ability to penetrate the artery wall more easily

"DALLAS, Jan. 8 - The same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones now has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, above and beyond established cardiovascular risk factors," said Thomas J. Wang, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. "The higher risk associated with vitamin D deficiency was particularly evident among individuals with high blood pressure." In a study of 1,739 offspring from Framingham Heart Study participants (average age 59, all Caucasian), researchers found that those with blood levels of vitamin D below15 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) had twice the risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack, heart failure or stroke in the next five years compared to those with higher levels of vitamin D."