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Endocrine Society Trials should test nonskeletal benefits of vitamin D
Rosen CJ. Endocr Rev. 2012;doi:10.1210/er.2012-1000.
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In a statement issued by The Endocrine Society, researchers highlight data currently associating vitamin D with immune function, hypertension, stroke, skin conditions and maternal/fetal health.
Clifford J. Rosen, MD, researcher at the Tufts University School of Medicine, and colleagues critically evaluated information on each organ system before determining that future studies are needed to assess the correlation between vitamin D and nonskeletal disease.
“The role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of chronic nonskeletal disease remains to be determined,” Rosen said in a press release. “We need large randomized controlled trials and dose-response data to test the effects of vitamin D on chronic disease outcomes, including autoimmunity, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.”
The researchers said there is a possibility that vitamin D may lower cardiovascular disease risk or type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndromes, but insufficient evidence requires further studies before making recommendations.
Additional studies are needed to determine whether topical and oral vitamin D are useful in treating skin disorders such as psoriasis or the prevention of skin cancer, they added.
Conflicting evidence links vitamin D with placenta and maternal/fetal health, and further trials are necessary to test whether vitamin D during pregnancy will prevent type 1 diabetes in children.
Vitamin D, however, is associated with a reduction in falls in those who have low baseline levels (less than 20 ng/mL) and take calcium.
“Thus, the role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of chronic nonskeletal diseases remains to be determined,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.