26 November 2012
According to a new US study, people with certain gene variations involved in vitamin D metabolism may be particularly susceptible to the potential adverse health effects of low blood vitamin D concentrations.
The researchers analyzed genetic variations in 304 study participants (mean age of 74) with low vitamin D blood levels and 1,210 participants with normal vitamin D concentrations. They looked at the potential effects of these genetic variations on the development of chronic diseases and death by taking measurements of serum vitamin D levels and following up after 11 years (1). The study results showed that participants with low vitamin D levels had a 32% greater risk of hip fracture, myocardial infarction, cancer, and death. Among those with low serum 25(OH)D levels, the presence of a certain variation (polymorphism) of the gene coding for the vitamin D receptor was associated with a 40% greater risk of potentially fatal clinical outcomes. The presence of two gene variations was even linked with an 82% greater risk. Without accounting for vitamin D concentrations, no association between the polymorphisms and disease risk was found.
The researchers concluded that people with specific vitamin D metabolism-related gene variants may be particularly susceptible to, or protected from, the potential adverse health effects of low vitamin D blood concentrations. Further studies are needed to explore why such variations affect 25(OH)D concentrations Long-term measurements of 25(OH)D levels in other study populations may show if the findings can be generalized.
15 June 2013
Before a scientific assertion is made public it should be scrutinized for credibility. Has the scientist drawn justifiable conclusions, based on the data available from sound scientific research?
11 January 2016
A new large (n=10.735), cross-sectional study has revealed that despite some of the highest sunlight levels on the globe, 62.65% of females and 40.6% of males in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are deficient in vitamin D.
5 March 2015
Dietary guidelines encourage people to eat a healthful diet – one that focuses on foods and beverages that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight, promote health, and prevent disease. Although the majority of Americans are not meeting the requirements for a number of essential nutrients, the focus of the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on a healthy diet is causing a significant problem, scientists say. The committee is overlooking this problem because they are preaching this ideal of a healthy diet.
