Hypovitaminosis D in an Italian population of healthy subjects and hospitalized patients.
Romagnoli E, Caravella P, Scarnecchia L, Martinez P, Minisola S.
Br J Nutr. 1999 Feb;81(2):133-7.
PMID: 10450331
The results of the present study emphasize the importance of 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurement, and the need to increase vitamin D intake in Italy; foodstuff fortification and supplement use must be considered in order to prevent negative effects of vitamin D deficiency on skeletal integrity.
All hospitalized patients, both in summer and in winter,
are characterized by the highest prevalence of hypovitaminosis
D, especially the older patients. Medical
inpatients may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency,
Benefits of Vitamin D Supplementation
Joel M. Kauffman, Ph.D.
Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons
Volume 14 Number 2 - Summer 2009
Clinical trials show that vitamin D supplementation at higher
levels than previously recommended is beneficial for many
conditions. It decreases the frequency of falls and fractures, helps
prevent cardiovascular disease, and reduces symptoms of colds or
influenza. Benefits are also seen in diabetes mellitus, multiple
sclerosis, Crohn disease, pain, depression, and possibly autism.
Sunlight does not cause an overdose of vitamin D production,
and toxicity from supplementation is rare. Dose recommendations
are increasing, but appear to be lagging the favorable trial results. A
number of common drugs deplete vitamin D levels, and others may
limit its biosynthesis from sunlight.
People with adequate levels from sun exposure will not benefit
from supplementation. While dietary intake is helpful,
supplementation is better able to raise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D ,
the major circulating metabolite, to the level now thought adequate,
30-50 ng/mL.
Where there is inadequate daily sun exposure, oral doses of
1,000-2,000 IU/d are now considered routine, with much higher
doses (up to 50,000 IU) for rapid repletion now considered safe.
How to optimize vitamin D supplementation to prevent cancer, based on cellular adaptation and hydroxylase enzymology.
Vieth R.
Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3675-84. Review.
PMID: 19667164
Reducing the Burden of Disease Through Adequate Intake of Vitamin D3.
A presentation at University of California, San Diego,
April 9, 2008
by William B. Grant, Ph.D
Low vitamin D serum level is related to severe fibrosis and low responsiveness to IFN-based therapy in genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C
Salvatore Petta et al.
Hepatology, Volume 9999 Issue 999A, Page NA. Published Online: 4 Dec 2009
DOI: 10.1002/hep.23489
Conclusions:
G1 CHC patients had low 25(OH)D serum levels, possibly due to reduced CYP27A1 expression. Low vitamin D is linked to severe fibrosis and low SVR on IFN-based therapy. (HEPATOLOGY 2010.)
Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and haplotypes, interactions with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and prostate cancer risk.
Mikhak B, Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, Platz EA, Hollis BW, Giovannucci E.
Prostate. 2007 Jun 15;67(9):911-23.
PMID: 17440943
DOI: 10.1002/pros.20570
RESULTS
No association was found between these SNPs or their associated haplotypes and all PC subtypes except that haplotype 2 (A-f-b) with Cdx2 A, Fok1 f, and Bsm1 b alleles and haplotype 3 (A-F-B) with Cdx2 A, Fok1 F and Bsm1 B alleles compared to the most common haplotype (A-F-b), were associated with reduced risk of aggressive PC (high stage or Gleason sum 7; P = 0.02), both with two alleles suspected of being low risk. Carriers of the variant Cdx2 A allele who were deficient in plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (15 ng/ml) compared to non-carriers with normal 25-hydroxyvitamin D, had a lower risk of total and poorly differentiated PCs (Gleason sum 7) (P for interaction = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D deficiency (26 pg/ml) was associated with a threefold risk of poorly differentiated PC (P for interaction = 0.01) when comparing carriers of the Cdx2 A allele to non-carriers with normal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
CONCLUSION
In this population of men, none of the VDR polymorphisms studied was associated with susceptibility to PC.
Carriers of the variant Cdx2 A allele with low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D may experience a reduction in risk of total and poorly differentiated prostate cancers compared to non-carriers with adequate 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
Plasma calcidiol, season, and serum parathyroid hormone concentrations in healthy elderly men and women.
Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Dallal GE.
Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Jan;65(1):67-71.
PMID: 8988915
Plasma calcidiol and serum PTH concentrations were inversely related, with PTH rising slowly as calcidiol concentrations declined below 110 nmol/L (95 CI: 60, 168 nmol/L). More than 90% of the men and women had calcidiol concentrations below this value in the wintertime. The high prevalence of lower wintertime calcidiol values may increase risk of bone loss in elderly men and 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.
Vitamin D deficiency and risk of cardiovascular disease.
Wang TJ, Pencina MJ, Booth SL, Jacques PF, Ingelsson E, Lanier K, Benjamin EJ, D'Agostino RB, Wolf M, Vasan RS.
Circulation. 2008 Jan 29;117(4):503-11. Epub 2008 Jan 7.
PMID: 18180395
doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.706127
Conclusions-Vitamin D deficiency is associated with incident cardiovascular disease. Further clinical and experimental studies may be warranted to determine whether correction of vitamin D deficiency could contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease.