News
Vitamin D shown to improve cardiac performance in patients with chronic heart failure
12 July 2016
10 June 2010
Gene variants may indicate a risk of having low levels of vitamin D, suggests a new study.
An international consortium of researchers analyzed data from 15 epidemiologic groups that included nearly 34,000 whites of European ancestry (1). The team looked at vitamin D concentration levels in the blood as well as genetics. The scientists identified four common gene variants – including those involved with cholesterol, vitamin D metabolism and transporting vitamin D throughout the body – that may play a role in vitamin D deficiency. The researchers found that the more of these variants an individual had, the greater the risk of having low vitamin D levels.
Thus, having too little vitamin D may not be due solely to diet or lack of sunlight, but may also be due to one's genes, the researchers commented. Knowing who carries the gene variants could help doctors identify who is at risk for vitamin D deficiency and could potentially help reduce the risk of low vitamin D before the problem advances.
It is possible that these results could explain why some people respond well to vitamin D supplements and others do not, but this needs to be studied further since the analysis did not specifically examine response to supplementation, the researchers concluded.
Vitamin D deficiency – defined as concentrations lower than 75 nanomoles per liter – is a condition which may affect up to half of all healthy adults in the developed world. It can contribute to poor musculoskeletal health as well as potentially increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of common cancers.
12 July 2016
13 February 2015
According to a new US study stroke patients with low vitamin D levels were more likely to suffer severe strokes and have poor health after stroke than those with normal levels of vitamin D.
12 October 2011
A new US study speculates that the frequent use of vitamin C and vitamin E in the period after breast cancer diagnosis may be associated with a decreased likelihood of recurrence, whereas frequent use of a combination of carotenoids may be associated with increased mortality. Experts warn against jumping to conclusions.