Wednesday, September 19, 2007
vitamine D
Dr. Giovannucci has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:1709-1710, 1730-1737.
Clinical Context
According to the authors of the current study, vitamin D deficiency can affect a wide variety of conditions including bone health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, some infectious diseases, and diabetes, and evidence from animal, clinical, and epidemiologic studies supports a protective effect of vitamin D on these functions, while failing to demonstrate beneficial effects of other micronutrients such as vitamin E and carotene. For example, according to the authors, a meta-analysis of trials using β-carotene, vitamins A and E, ascorbic acid, and selenium found an increased risk for all-cause mortality with an RR of 1.06. The authors hypothesized that by increasing vitamin D intake, we may be correcting a deficiency caused by a lack of natural sources of vitamin D especially from sunlight, and this may explain its greater beneficial effects. Deficiencies in vitamin D are known to be associated with increased risk for falls and fractures among other risks.
This is a quantitative meta-analysis of 18 randomized clinical trials examining the all-cause mortality associated with vitamin D supplementation with either ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) or cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) on any health condition.
