Novel roles of vitamin D in disease: what is new in 2011?
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to explore the broader implications of vitamin D deficiency, including its potential role in chronic diseases beyond its known effects on bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis.
Results Summary
The study highlights that vitamin D deficiency is common and may be a risk factor for chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune conditions, and cancer, though the efficacy of supplementation remains controversial.
Population
General population (not specified further)
Effective Dosage
Not mentioned
Duration
Not mentioned
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vitamin D | neutral | genes | - | a large number | regulates the expression | #1 |
vitamin D | neutral | bone metabolism | - | - | control | #2 |
vitamin D | neutral | calcium and phosphorus homeostasis | - | - | control | #3 |
vitamin D deficiency | increase | many chronic diseases | - | - | could be a new risk factor | #4 |
vitamin D deficiency | increase | metabolic syndrome and its components | - | - | could be a new risk factor | #5 |
vitamin D deficiency | increase | the whole spectrum of cardiovascular diseases | - | - | could be a new risk factor | #6 |
vitamin D deficiency | increase | several auto-immune conditions | - | - | could be a new risk factor | #7 |
vitamin D deficiency | increase | many types of cancer | - | - | could be a new risk factor | #8 |
vitamin D deficiency | increase | all-cause mortality | - | - | could be a new risk factor | #9 |
vitamin D supplementation | no change | - | - | - | remains controversial | #10 |
Vitamin D is a steroid molecule, mainly produced in the skin that regulates the expression of a large number of genes. Until recently its main known role was to control bone metabolism and calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. During the last 2 decades it has been realized that vitamin D deficiency, which is really common worldwide, could be a new risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as the metabolic syndrome and its components, the whole spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, several auto-immune conditions, and many types of cancer as well as all-cause mortality. Except for the great number of epidemiological studies that support the above presumptions, vitamin D receptors (VDRs) have been identified in many tissues and cells. The effect of vitamin D supplementation remains controversial and the need for more persuasive study outcomes is intense.