05 March 2012
According to a new US study, low blood vitamin D levels seem to be associated with increased rejection and infections after lung transplantation.
In the study, blood vitamin D concentrations of 102 patients who underwent a lung transplant were measured within 100 days prior to or following surgery (1). At the beginning of the study twenty-one patients had normal vitamin D levels and 81 were deficient. After surgery the rejection rate in the deficient group was more than double that of the non-deficient group. Infections also were more frequent in the deficient group than in the non-deficient group. In addition, the mortality rate of vitamin D deficient patients one year after transplant was nearly five times higher than those who were not deficient.
The researchers concluded that given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in lung transplant patients and the growing evidence that this micronutrient helps the immune system tolerate the organ, optimal levels of vitamin D are critical for positive outcomes in these patients. Thus, all vitamin D deficient patients should receive supplements to normalize blood levels prior to lung transplant.
8 May 2014
Women with ovarian cancer who are vitamin D deficient may be at greater risk of mortality compared to those with sufficient blood vitamin D concentrations, suggests a new study.
26 October 2016
Nutrition plays a pivotal role in healthy aging, including maintaining cognition.
5 February 2013
US researchers suggest, based on animal experiments, that dietary vitamin E in the form of gamma- and delta-tocopherol could be beneficial in reducing the risk of, and even treating, certain cancers. Experts criticized that animal models do not accurately reflect human metabolism and that cancer development depends on multiple factors.
