Vitamin D Deficiency News and Research

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Two new tests tend to overestimate vitamin D deficiency

Blood tests to measure vitamin D deficiency are among the most frequently ordered tests in medicine. But a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study of two new vitamin D tests found the kits are inaccurate in many cases. Earle W. Holmes, PhD, presented findings at ENDO 2012, the 94th Annual Meeting and Expo in Houston.

26 Jun 2012

More evidence of link between low vitamin D levels and increased risk of metabolic syndrome

IOF review outlines pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in young adults

Much of the research defining osteoporosis and fracture risk has focused on older adults, i.e. postmenopausal women and men over the age of 50. While older adults are at highest risk of osteoporosis and related fractures, the disease can also affect younger adults between 20 and 50 years of age. However, the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in young adults is complicated by special challenges, including a complex pathophysiology and the related fact that there is no clear definition of osteoporosis, or of intervention thresholds, in this age group.

20 Jun 2012

$Hip fracture mortality increases with even mild cognitive decline$

Hip fracture mortality increases with even mild cognitive decline

Patients with just mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment have a high risk for nursing home admission and mortality during the first year after hip fracture, researchers report.

15 Jun 2012

Vitamin D deficiency may account for unexplained disparities in cancer survival rates

A paper just published in Dermato-Endocrinology suggests that vitamin D deficiency may account for unexplained disparities in cancer survival rates between African and White Americans.

10 Jun 2012

What are vitamins?

Most people have heard of vitamin C and its effects upon the body; but how much do you know about other vitamins? How many even are there? And what do they all do?

8 Jun 2012

Vitamin D deficiency may be an important risk factor for erectile dysfunction

A paper just published hypothesizes that vitamin D deficiency may be an important risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED).

7 Jun 2012

Possible association between mortality and high levels of vitamin D

Scientists know that Vitamin D deficiency is not healthy. However, new research from the University of Copenhagen now indicates that too high a level of the essential vitamin is not good either. The study is based on blood samples from 247,574 Copenhageners. The results have just been published in the reputed scientific Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

30 May 2012

$IOF report predicts dramatic rise in osteoporosis-related fractures in Brazil$

IOF report predicts dramatic rise in osteoporosis-related fractures in Brazil

A new Audit report on fragility fractures, issued today by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), predicts that Brazil will experience an explosion in the number of fragility fractures due to osteoporosis in the coming decades.

25 May 2012

Studies show vitamin D may benefit cardiovascular, skin and metabolic disorders

The Endocrine Society's new scientific statement published online today represents the first comprehensive evaluation of both the basic and clinical evidence related to the non-skeletal effects of vitamin D. The statement addresses current research regarding the associations of vitamin D with immune function, hypertension, stroke, skin conditions and maternal/fetal health.

19 May 2012

Safe amount of vitamin D during pregnancy and lactation

Women who do not receive enough vitamin D during pregnancy and lactation can experience serious health problems for themselves and their baby, but health experts offer conflicting advice on what constitutes a safe amount.

2 May 2012

Vitamin D strengthens innate immunity against viral infections

Vitamin D may be known as the sunshine vitamin, but a new research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows that it is more than that. According to the report, insufficient levels of vitamin D are related to a deficiency in our innate immune defenses that protect us from infections, neoplasias or autoimmune diseases.

30 Apr 2012

Vitamin D supplementation in winter can help lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients

A new study, presented at the European Society of Hypertension meeting in London, shows that vitamin D supplementation in winter can help lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

25 Apr 2012

Vitamin D deficiency associated with increase in lung transplant rejection, infections

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increase in lung transplant rejection and infections, according to research conducted at Loyola University Health System.

25 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Effects of health exchanges; Improving provider performance; Governors' 2013 budgets and Medicaid

Authors analyzed the cost and coverage implications of various scenarios of the health insurance exchanges that are called for in the health law. They predicted that about 1 million uninsured people in the state would get insurance through the exchanges and said that premiums in the small group and individual market would be lower than if the health law was not in effect.

7 Apr 2012

African American women more likely to have ER-negative breast cancer

American women of African ancestry are more likely than European Americans to have estrogen-receptor-negative (ER-negative) breast cancer. There continues to be discussion about the role of low levels of vitamin D in the development of breast cancer for these women.

6 Apr 2012

Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of mortality in intensive care patients

Scientists have long believed that vitamin D, which is naturally absorbed from sunlight, has an important role in the functioning of the body's autoimmune system. Now Prof. Howard Amital of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sheba Medical Center has discovered that the vitamin may also affect the outcomes of patients in intensive care.

4 Apr 2012

Highlights from Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) is the first comprehensive study to look at the effectiveness of different treatments for low back and leg pain. It was designed to provide data and outcomes to guide doctors and their patients in their treatment choices for three common spinal disorders: intervertebral disk herniation (IDH), degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), and lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

14 Mar 2012

Swaddling babies tight could lead to hip problems

Swaddling babies is back in vogue as many mothers are convinced that wrapping babies tightly makes them feel more secure. However a children's surgeon at Southampton General Hospital has warned that the practice of tight swaddling, where both the arms and legs are wrapped up, is causing an increase in hip problems.

13 Mar 2012

Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of mortality in institutionalized elderly patients

The majority of institutionalized elderly female patients are vitamin D deficient and there is an inverse association of vitamin D deficiency and mortality, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

7 Mar 2012