scholarly journals Vitamin D supplementation: are multivitamins sufficient?

2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (8) ◽  
pp. 791-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J Moon ◽  
Elizabeth M Curtis ◽  
Cyrus Cooper ◽  
Justin H Davies ◽  
Nicholas C Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Product Packaging ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements

BackgroundPublic Health England advises 400 IU/day vitamin D supplementation for children over 1 year. Commercially available children’s multivitamin and vitamin D supplements were surveyed to determine the vitamin D content.MethodsMultivitamins and vitamin D supplements marketed at children <12 years and sold by nine UK supermarkets and health supplement retailers were surveyed. Vitamin D content was determined from manufacturer’s websites and product packaging.Results67 multivitamins were surveyed, containing 0–800 IU/day vitamin D. Only 25%–36%, depending on the child’s age, provided ≥400 IU/day vitamin D. Supplements containing only vitamin D or labelled as for ‘healthy bones’ typically had higher vitamin D content (57%–67% contained ≥400 IU/day).ConclusionsFew multivitamin products supply the recommended 400 IU/day vitamin D. Clinicians need to be aware of this when recommending vitamin D supplementation and advise parents/carers to choose a product that contains ≥400 IU/day vitamin D.

scholarly journals Responsibility for vitamin D supplementation of elderly care home residents in England: falling through the gap between medicine and food

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjnph-2020-000129
Author(s):  
Joseph Williams ◽  
Carol Williams
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Medical Responsibility ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements

IntroductionDaily vitamin D supplements are recommended for elderly care home residents; however, they are rarely given and vitamin D deficiency in care homes is widespread. This study aimed to understand the determinants of current practice and perceived responsibility for the vitamin D status of residents.MethodsThirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants in two areas of Southern England including care home managers, general practitioners (GPs) and public health professionals. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim.ResultsInductive thematic analysis identified four themes: framing of vitamin D supplements as medicines; professional and sector boundaries whereby GPs are perceived as responsible for the vitamin D status of residents and care home managers felt unable to administer over-the-counter vitamin tablets; low awareness of national guidance; and ethical and practical issues. This results in vitamin D supplements requiring prescription by medical professionals and few residents receiving them.ConclusionThe medical framing of vitamin D supplements in care homes is a practical barrier to implementation of longstanding nutrition guidelines. A paradigm shift is needed so that vitamin D is understood as a protective nutrient as well as a medicine, and a public health as well as a medical responsibility. Vitamin D is important for musculoskeletal health. Possible links with COVID-19 are still being investigated. The pandemic has drawn attention to conditions in care homes and there is an opportunity to revise current guidance on vitamin D supplementation which will have lasting benefit for this vulnerable group.

scholarly journals Vitamin D Supplementation in Australia: Implications for the Development of Supplementation Guidelines

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kellie Bilinski ◽  
Peter Talbot
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
The Past ◽  
Threefold Increase ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements ◽  
Vitamin D Supplement ◽  
Potential Public Health

High rates of vitamin D deficiency and testing have been reported in Australia, yet there are few reports regarding vitamin D supplement use. Australian wholesale sales data was obtained for vitamin D supplements for the period 2000–2011. There has been a threefold increase in supplement sales over the past decade, whereby over A$94 million supplements containing vitamin D in Australia were sold during the year 2010. There were eighty-nine manufacturers that produce a variety of 195 vitamin D products. The amount of vitamin D in these products varies considerably, from 40 to 1000 IU per unit, although supplements containing only vitamin D had the highest amount of vitamin D. There was a trend for sales to increase in winter months. Given the potential public health benefits of vitamin D, there is an urgent need for a better understanding of supplementation use and for the development of supplementation.

scholarly journals Responsibility for vitamin D supplementation of elderly care home residents in England: falling through the gap between medicine and food

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Williams ◽  
Carol Williams
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements

AbstractIntroductionVitamin D supplements are recommended for elderly care home residents with little sunlight exposure. However, their use in care homes is limited and vitamin D deficiency in residents is widespread. This study aimed to understand perceived responsibility for the vitamin D status of residents and the determinants of current practice around supplementation.MethodsThirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants in two areas of Southern England including care home managers, general practitioners (GPs) and public health professionals. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim.ResultsInductive thematic analysis identified four themes – medical framing; professional and sector boundaries; awareness of national guidance; and ethical and practical issues. Vitamin D supplements were not routinely given to residents, and most participants, including the GPs, believed the vitamin D status of residents was the responsibility of the GP. Care home managers felt unable to make decisions about vitamin D and vulnerable to suggestions of wrongdoing in administering over-the-counter vitamin tablets. This results in vitamin D requiring prescription by medical professionals and few care home residents receiving vitamin D supplements.ConclusionThe medical framing of vitamin D supplements in care homes is a practical barrier to residents receiving them and is out of step with public health recommendations. Vitamin D levels in care home residents could be improved through universal supplementation. This requires a paradigm shift so that vitamin D is understood as a protective nutrient as well as a medicine, and a public health as well as a medical responsibility. The failure to ensure vitamin D adequacy of residents may emerge as a factor in the spread and severity of COVID-19 in care homes and gives increased urgency to addressing this issue.KEY MESSAGESWhat is already known about the subject?Nutrition guidelines recommend elderly care home residents take vitamin D supplements as a preventative measure. This is rarely implemented in practice and vitamin D inadequacy is widespread.What are the new findings?Medical framing of vitamin D in the care sector puts elderly residents at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplements are perceived as medicines requiring an individual prescription and diagnosis by a medical professional. This is out of step with public health recommendations. The system’s failure to protect the vitamin D status of the elderly in care homes may have implications in the context of COVID-19.How might these results change the focus of research or practice?Prompt a review of current guidelines and regulations in England to establish responsibility for implementing public health recommendations on vitamin D supplementation in care homes. Further research on feasibility of implementation strategies is needed.

Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Cognitive Function Through Reducing Oxidative Stress Regulated by Telomere Length in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 1509-1518
Author(s):  
Tong Yang ◽  
Hualou Wang ◽  
Ying Xiong ◽  
Chong Chen ◽  
Keran Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Placebo Group ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Repeated Measures Anova

Background: Cognitive decline in older adults is a serious public health problem today. Association between vitamin D supplementation and cognition remains controversial. Objective: To determine whether a 12-month vitamin D supplementation improves cognitive function in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and whether it is mediated through the mechanism in which telomere length (TL) regulate oxidative stress. Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Tianjin, China. Participants were all native Chinese speakers aged 65 years and older with MCI. 183 subjects were randomized to an intervention group (vitamin D 800 IU/day, n = 93) or a placebo group (the matching starch granules, n = 90), and followed up for 12 months. Tests of cognitive function and mechanism-related biomarkers were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Results: Repeated-measures ANOVA showed substantial improvements in the full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ), information, digit span, vocabulary, block design, and picture arrangement scores in the vitamin D group over the placebo group (p < 0.001). Leukocyte TL was significantly higher, while serum 8-OXO-dG, OGG1mRNA, and P16INK4amRNA revealed greater decreases in the vitamin D group over the placebo group (p < 0.001). According to mixed-model repeated-measures ANOVA analysis, vitamin D group showed a significant enhancement in the FSIQ score for 12 months compared with the control (estimate value = 5.132, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation for 12 months appears to improve cognitive function through reducing oxidative stress regulated by increased TL in order adults with MCI. Vitamin D may be a promising public health strategy to prevent cognitive decline.

Vitamin D Supplementation to Treat Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms: A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-257
Author(s):  
Kimberly Lowe ◽  
Khadija Tul Kubra ◽  
Ze Yang He ◽  
Katherine Carey
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Statin Therapy ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Serum Creatine Kinase ◽  
Serum Vitamin D ◽  
The Past ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements

For the past 15 years, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States and worldwide. With an aging population, there has been increasing use of statin therapy to reduce the risk of CVD. However, statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) remain an obstacle to this treatment, leading to discontinuation and nonadherence to statin therapy. Signs and symptoms of SAMS include muscle pain, tenderness, and increased serum creatine kinase. Despite the idiopathic pathophysiology of SAMS, some studies have shown an association between vitamin D deficiency and SAMS; the use of vitamin D supplements can lead to relief of these symptoms. The purpose of this review was to critique evidence for the association between low serum vitamin D and SAMS and the use of vitamin D supplementation for treatment.

scholarly journals Vitamin D supplementation as a rational pharmacological approach in the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 319 (6) ◽  
pp. L941-L948 ◽  
Author(s):  
León Ferder ◽  
Virna Margarita Martín Giménez ◽  
Felipe Inserra ◽  
Carlos Tajer ◽  
Laura Antonietti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Pharmacological Agents ◽  
Angiotensin System ◽  
Therapeutic Measure ◽  
Oxidative Signaling

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached most of the countries worldwide causing death, which often results from an inflammatory storm associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). This has prompted researchers to seek specific novel and definitive treatments urgently. In this context, it is interesting to evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of existing pharmacological agents that could be useful. In this regard, vitamin D supplementation, particularly in individuals likely to be deficient, may be a promising option. Vitamin D is a hormone that modulates many of the same inflammatory and oxidative signaling pathways triggered during COVID-19. For example, vitamin D suppresses the actions of the renin-angiotensin system, which has a determining role in the pathophysiology of the inflammatory response related to COVID-19. This paper analyzes the evidence that vitamin D supplementation might be a valuable preventive/therapeutic measure in groups at risk for or infected with COVID-19. It also discusses how clinical studies could be best designed to evaluate the possible advantages of vitamin D supplementation for the benefit of public health during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Vitamin D Status and Its Seasonal Variations and Association With Parathyroid Hormone Concentration in Healthy Women in Riga

Medicina ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Aivars Lejnieks ◽  
Anda Slaidina ◽  
Agnis Zvaigzne ◽  
Una Soboleva ◽  
Gulsena Eivazova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Parathyroid Hormone ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Healthy Women ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements

The aim of the study was to describe the vitamin D status and its seasonal variations in women living in Riga, Latvia, to examine an association between the concentrations of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and parathyroid hormone (PTH), and to determine the threshold for plasma 25(OH)D above which there is no further suppression of PTH. Material and Methods. The data of 189 healthy Caucasian women were analyzed. The serum levels of 25(OH)D, PTH, and phosphorus were measured twice a year. All the participants were divided into 3 groups according to vitamin D supplementation and the reproductive status. Results. The overall mean level of 25(OH)D was 32.8 ng/mL with significantly lower levels being in winter when compared with those in summer (28.2 ng/mL vs. 37.5 ng/mL, respectively; P<0.05). PTH was negatively associated with 25(OH)D. A threshold level of plasma 25(OH)D above which no further suppression of PTH occurred was found to be 38 ng/mL. Postmenopausal women not taking vitamin D supplements and without exposure to sunlight had 25(OH)D deficiency in winter and summer (92% and 88%, respectively). The most significant seasonal fluctuations were seen in the women of the reproductive age not taking vitamin D supplements and without exposure to sunlight, of which 47% had 25(OH)D deficiency in summer and 69% in winter. Conclusions. An optimal concentration of 25(OH)D was found to be 38 ng/mL. According to this definition, 70.4% of all the healthy women were classified as vitamin D deficient in winter and 59.8% in summer. The highest proportion of vitamin D deficient individuals was found in the group representing the postmenopausal women not taking vitamin D supplements.

scholarly journals The relationship between neuropsychological function and responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation using artificial neural networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-294
Author(s):  
Elahe Allahyari ◽  
Parichehr Hanachi ◽  
Fatemeh Ariakia ◽  
Toktam Emami Kashfi ◽  
Gordon A Ferns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Artificial Neural Network ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Hydroxyvitamin D ◽  
25 Hydroxyvitamin D ◽  
Neural Network Algorithm ◽  
Artificial Neural ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements

Background: Vitamin D has recently attracted interest for its pleiotropic effects. Vitamin D supplements are a potentially important public health intervention, but the response to supplementation varies between individuals. Aim: We aimed to assess the association between several neuropsychological parameters and the magnitude of response to vitamin D supplementation using an artificial neural network method. Methods: Neuropsychological function was assessed in 619 participants using standard questionnaires. The study participants received vitamin D capsules containing 50,000 IU vitamin D per week over 9 weeks. To assess the relationship between responsiveness to vitamin D supplements and the impact on these neuropsychological parameters, the best-performing artificial neural network algorithms were selected from a combination of different transfer functions in hidden and output layers and variable numbers of hidden layers (between two and 50). The performance of the artificial neural network algorithm was assessed by receiver operating characteristic analysis and variables of importance were identified. Results: The artificial neural network algorithm with sigmoid transfer function in both hidden and output layers could predict responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation effectively. The sensitivity and specificity were between 0.60 and 0.70 and 0.66 and 0.70, respectively. Cognitive abilities (42.5%), basal vitamin D (21.3%), body mass index (9.5%), and daytime sleepiness (8%) are the most widely used variables to predict changes in serum vitamin D levels. Conclusions: Cognitive abilities status and baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D are important novel modifiers of the enhancement in circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D after vitamin D supplementation.

scholarly journals Effects of Vitamin D Use on Health-Related Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients in Early Survivorship

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 153473541882205 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Robyn Andersen ◽  
Erin Sweet ◽  
Shelly Hager ◽  
Marcia Gaul ◽  
Fred Dowd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements

Background: Vitamin D supplements may prevent recurrence, prolong survival, and improve mood for women with breast cancer, although evidence for these effects is preliminary. Methods: This report describes vitamin D supplement use by 553 breast cancer patient/survivors (193 who used a naturopathic oncology [NO] provider and 360 who did not) participating in a matched cohort study of breast cancer outcomes. Results: We found that more than half of breast cancer patients reported using vitamin D supplements. Women who received care from NO providers in early survivorship may be more likely to use vitamin D supplements ( P < .05). Approximately 30% of breast cancer patients with blood levels recorded in their medical chart were potentially vitamin D deficient (<30 ng/mL). Vitamin D supplement use at study enrollment was associated with higher levels of self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at enrollment ( P < .05) and predicted better HRQOL at 6-month follow-up ( P < .05). Sufficient blood levels of vitamin D recorded between enrollment and follow-up were also associated with better HRQOL at follow-up ( P < .05). Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation by breast cancer patients is common both during and after treatment for breast cancer, but deficiency may also be common. NO and conventional providers may be able to promote vitamin D sufficiency through vitamin D supplementation and by encouraging healthy solar exposure. Further studies should be undertaken examining whether vitamin D supplementation and higher blood levels might improve HRQOL among women with breast cancer in early survivorship.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document