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Vitamin D deficiency in 2010

Health benefits of vitamin D and sunlight: a D-bate

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 7, pages 73–75 (2011)Cite this article

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Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of autoimmune, cardiovascular and infectious diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as the risk of falls and fractures. Several prospective, randomized, controlled trials published in 2010 highlight the importance of improving vitamin D status in children and adults to reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections and cardiovascular disease, amongst other disorders.

In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial, Urashima et al.2 investigated the effect of a vitamin D supplement on the incidence of seasonal influenza A infection in school children aged 6–15 years. Of 167 children who received 1,200 IU of vitamin D per day for 4 months, 18 (10.8%) were documented to be infected with influenza A compared with 31 of 167 children (18.6%) who received placebo—a relative risk reduction of 42%. Furthermore, children previously diagnosed as having asthma who took the vitamin D supplement had a relative risk reduction of having an asthma attack of 93% compared with children on placebo. This observation is supported by a study of 1,024 children with a history of mild-to-moderate persistent asthma and vitamin D insufficiency (<75 nmol/l). This study population was found to have higher odds of any hospitalization or emergency department visit than children with normal levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (odds ratio 1.5).3 A prospective cohort study that measured serial concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 198 healthy adults observed that individuals with a 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration ≥95 nmol/l had a twofold reduced risk of acute viral respiratory tract infections and a marked reduction in the percentage of sickness days.4

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Figure 1: The major causes of vitamin D deficiency and potential health consequences.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 85 East Newton Street, M-1013, Boston, 02118, MA, USA

    Michael F. Holick

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Holick, M. Health benefits of vitamin D and sunlight: a D-bate. Nat Rev Endocrinol 7, 73–75 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2010.234

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