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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Vitamin D

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Vitamin D has many health benefits. Musculoskeletal disorders are more common in people with vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency. These include osteoporosis, increased risk of fractures, an increased risk of falls and reduced muscle function.
Osteoporosis affects a large percentage of residents in nursing homes. Osteoporosis is a bone disease associated with low bone mass and increased fracture risk. Ten million Americans have osteoporosis, while 34 million are suffering from osteopenia. An estimated 70 to 85 percent of people living in a nursing home suffering from osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is associated with inadequate calcium intake, but vitamin D helps calcium absorption. Vitamin D deficiency increases the long-term risk osteoporosis2. Vitamin D may help prevent osteoporosis in older people who are non-ambulatory, those on chronic steroids and in post-menopausal women.
The vitamin D has the potential to increase bone density. In one study there was an increase in the density of the lumbar spine and femoral neck bone with vitamin D 50,000 IU twice a week for five weeks to those who were deficient in vitamin D.
Vitamin D and calcium together reduce fractures in institutionalized older adults, but vitamin D alone is not effective in reducing the risk of falls and fractures. People over 65 with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk of hip fractures and a reduction of muscle mass and strength.
Vitamin D has the potential to reduce the risk of falls. It is this potential through the improvement of muscle function. Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are associated with poor muscle function and higher are associated with improved muscle function. Those who have low baseline in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration (10-20 ng / ml) are likely to benefit the most in terms of muscle strength when supplemented with vitamin D.
When vitamin D is consumed in doses of 700 to 1000 international units per day, the risk of falls is reduced. When 500,000 units of cholecalciferol were given once a year the risk of falls has actually increased.
Cancer
A link between vitamin D and cancer has been established. Vitamin D may help prevent cancer of the colon, breast and prostate cancer. Precancerous lesions of the bowel and breast cancer are related to a deficiency of vitamin D receptor in animals.
Many cancers have been linked to poor vitamin D. The risk of colorectal cancer is increased among the poor vitamin D status An analysis showed that those who consumed 1000 IU per day of vitamin D have a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Another analysis showed that vitamin D intake is inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer. Despite the positive data on vitamin D, research is inconsistent and the National Cancer Institute does not recommend for or against the use of vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer or any other type of cancer.
Some studies show the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, but the results are not statistically significant. More research is needed to determine the role of vitamin D on the risk of breast cancer.
There is some evidence that vitamin D can be harmful. A large prospective study has suggested that vitamin D does not reduce the risk of prostate cancer and higher levels of circulating vitamin D may be associated with an increased risk of aggressive disease. Other research suggests that people with the highest levels of vitamin D may be at an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Despite research suggesting that vitamin D reduces the risk of certain cancers, the current data do not recommend large doses of vitamin D in cancer prevention. A large analysis of more than 16,000 people have suggested that the total cancer mortality is not related to vitamin D status base. Global research does not support the role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. More research is needed to determine the exact relationship between cancer and vitamin D.
Immune system
Vitamin D affects the immune system. Vitamin D may reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases in animals. Diseases that could be affected by vitamin D status are: diabetes mellitus type 1, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Vitamin D supplementation in infancy reduces the risk of type 1 diabetes. One study suggested that people with a concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D below 20 ng / ml had about a twofold increase in rates for the future development of multiple sclerosis. Currently, one animal, in vitro and epidemiological suggest a link between diabetes / MS and vitamin D. Before a firm conclusion can not be reached, randomized trails should occur.
Higher levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of Crohn's disease. The alteration of vitamin D regulation is linked to the development of autoimmune processes (including inflammatory bowel disease) in animals. The administration of vitamin D may improve symptoms.
Vitamin D can help fight against bacterial and viral infections. Levels of vitamin D are associated with tuberculosis. The vitamin D deficiency may be more common in those with tuberculosis. Vitamin D may play a role in the treatment of tuberculosis, but more research is needed before the link is established with certainty.
Levels of vitamin D may have a beneficial effect on viral respiratory infections, but this relationship is not firmly established. Several studies have not found a link between vitamin D status and prevention of viral respiratory infections. A more recent analysis has suggested that vitamin D may reduce the risk of viral infections of the upper respiratory tract and tuberculosis.
Vitamin D and the heart
Many genes in the cardiovascular system are regulated by vitamin D. The vitamin D deficiency was associated with a heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease and heart failure. There is a lack of studies that focus on vitamin D and cardiovascular disease. Observational research suggests that there is a link between heart disease and vitamin D status More research is needed to determine the role of vitamin D in cardiovascular disease.
The renin-angiotensin system is regulated in part with the help of vitamin D. There is an inverse relationship between the incident hypertension and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. More research is needed to confirm a causal relationship between vitamin D levels and hypertension.
In an evaluation study, five of the seven studies showed an inverse relationship between the level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of coronary heart disease is higher in those with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D than those with higher levels. The vitamin D supplementation did not result in a beneficial effect on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and no provision was assessed after the increase in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D of 23 ng / ml over 40 ng / mL.
Vitamin D and other diseases
Diabetes is associated with vitamin D. The link between vitamin D and type 1 diabetes mellitus has been discussed above. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with type 2 diabetes. Higher levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Despite these correlations, intervention studies with vitamin D have not shown that vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of diabetes.
Vitamin D is important for brain development, so it may be related to psychopathology. Low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D have been shown to be present in those with Alzheimer's disease and depression. These studies show that low vitamin D levels are the cause of these conditions.
Low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of death. Even if there is an association between all-cause mortality and vitamin D, it is not clear whether this increased risk of death is closely linked to vitamin D deficiency or simply poor general health. Some studies suggest that cancer patients have a reduced mortality with higher levels of vitamin D, but other studies have shown no association between cancer mortality and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. risk
A recent analysis showed that higher levels of vitamin D. are associated with reduced all-cause mortality, but no association between vitamin D levels and heart disease, stroke or ischemic stroke was established. Those with severe chronic renal impairment are at increased risk of death with low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and vitamin D treatment improves survival.

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