News on VitD

[Tryfan]

News feed from an American site Medical News Today concerning genetic predisposition on VitD.

MNT’s Sunday Supplement: Genetic evidence links vitamin D deficiency to mortality risk in some

Vitamin D is a topic Medical News Today keeps coming back to. We have covered research into the link between vitamin D and the microbiome, the mixed evidence for the health benefits of supplementation, and the debate over its role in protecting people from the symptoms of COVID-19.

This week, MNT reported on a new study that reveals how vitamin D’s protective effect against dying from cancer or cardiovascular disease may be dependent on an individual genetics.

Researchers investigated the effect of a genetic predisposition for higher levels of vitamin D on mortality risk. They found that people who were genetically predisposed to have high levels were 30% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease or die from it — even if they had a deficiency in vitamin D.

This suggests that people who are genetically predisposed to having low levels of vitamin D are the most likely to benefit from supplementation. Previous studies looked at the population as a whole without taking into account the genetic characteristics of individuals. The potential benefit adequate vitamin D levels have on mortality was too small to be detected until now.

[secondtry]

Thanks for the prompt, I need to do some homework on this and do a test in winter.

[Desanthony]

Thats very interesting. I listen to Dr Zand and he keeps telling us that we should supplement all year here in the UK but as I spend so much time outside and they say that you only have tohave hands, arms and face in the sun for about 20 mins even in winter when sun is out to top up your vit D levels it all seems more and more confusing. Really need to research this more. I do take Vit D but tend not to take it regularly throughout the summer that is, if I forget I don't rush to take the tablet but wait until tomorrow!

[Auriculaire in reply to Desanthony]

I don't know who says you can top up your vit D levels with having hands arms and face in the sun in winter but they are talking rubbish. There is no vit D to be made by the skin in winter in the uk. It is only possible to make significant vit D from April to end of Sept . Face and hands make very little. Again to make significant quantities torso and legs should be exposed even in summer. There are other benefits to getting winter sun - UVA rays promote nitric oxide formation that relaxes arteries and lowers blood pressure. Also age is relevant - a seventy year old skin makes only one third the vitamin D that a twenty year old skin makes.

[Tryfan in reply to Auriculaire]

Yes, I have read elsewhere that you need to expose large areas of skin to fairly strong sunlight. I did think the genetic predisposition one way or the other was interesting. The piece went on for several more paragraphs. It didn't as far as my reading, define which or what genes were responsible.

[bantam12]

Did they consider that those with genetically low levels may be intolerant to supplements, I'm guessing not !