Another study shows that vitamin D reduces the risk of heart failure
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Tanning News
DEC. 2, 2009 (UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PRESS RELEASE) — Previous studies have shown a link between low vitamin D status and heart disease. Now a new study shows that patients with high blood pressure who possess a gene variant that affects an enzyme critical to normal vitamin D activation are twice as likely as those without the variant to have congestive heart failure.
“This study is the first indication of a genetic link between vitamin D action and heart disease,” says Robert U. Simpson, professor of pharmacology at the University of Michigan Medical School and one of the authors of the study in the journal Pharmacogenomics.
“This study revealed that a critical enzyme absolutely required for production of the vitamin D hormone has a genetic variant associated with the development of congestive heart failure,” Simpson says. “If subsequent studies confirm this finding and demonstrate a mechanism, this means that in the future, we may be able to screen earlier for those most vulnerable and slow the progress of the disease.” Such a screening test would be years away.
Study co-authors Russel A. Wilke of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Catherine A. McCarthy of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in Marshfield, Wis., analyzed the genetic profiles of 617 subjects from the Marshfield Clinic Personalized Medicine Project, a large DNA biobank. They looked for variants in five candidate genes chosen for their roles in vitamin D regulation and hypertension. One-third of the subjects had both hypertension and congestive heart failure, one-third had hypertension alone and one-third were included as healthy controls.
The results showed that a variant in the CYP27B1 gene was associated with congestive heart failure in patients with hypertension. It is already known that mutations that inactivate this gene reduce the required conversion of vitamin D into an active hormone.
“This initial study needs to be confirmed with a larger study that would permit analysis of the full cardiovascular profile of the population possessing the gene variant,” Simpson says. A future study also would need to include people of more diverse origins than this study’s population of mostly European ancestry, the authors say.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Multiple health concerns surface as winter, vitamin D deficiences arrive
Contact: Adrian Gombart
adrian.gombart@oregonstate.edu
541-737-8018
Oregon State University
Multiple health concerns surface as winter, vitamin D deficiences arrive
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A string of recent discoveries about the multiple health benefits of vitamin D has renewed interest in this multi-purpose nutrient, increased awareness of the huge numbers of people who are deficient in it, spurred research and even led to an appreciation of it as "nature's antibiotic."
On issues ranging from the health of your immune system to prevention of heart disease and even vulnerability to influenza, vitamin D is now seen as one of the most critical nutrients for overall health. But it's also one of those most likely to be deficient – especially during winter when production of the "sunshine vitamin" almost grinds to a halt for millions of people in the United States, Europe and other northern temperate zones.
Analogs of the vitamin are even being considered for use as new therapies against tuberculosis, AIDS, and other concerns. And federal experts are considering an increase in the recommended daily intake of the vitamin as more evidence of its value emerges, especially for the elderly.
"About 70 percent of the population of the United States has insufficient levels of vitamin D," said Adrian Gombart, a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. "This is a critical issue as we learn more about the many roles it may play in fighting infection, balancing your immune response, helping to address autoimmune problems, and even preventing heart disease."
Those issues were just outlined in a new publication in Future Microbiology, a professional journal, on the latest findings on vitamin D research, at OSU and in many other programs around the world.
Of particular interest are findings made recently by OSU scientists that vitamin D induces the "expression" of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide gene. This explains in part how it helps serve as the first line of defense in your immune response against minor wounds, cuts, and both bacterial and viral infections. Experts believe advances in the use of cathelicidin may form the basis for new therapies.
Once believed to be related primarily to bone health and rickets – a disease caused by chronic deficiency of vitamin D – it's now understood that optimal levels of this nutrient influence much more than that.
"Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is a world-wide, public health problem in both developed and developing nations," the new report concluded. "Nearly one billion people world-wide are deficient."
Vitamin D can be obtained from the diet, often through supplemented foods such as milk, but those sources are rarely adequate, experts say. Most people get the bulk of this fat-soluble vitamin from the UV-B radiation in sun exposure, which naturally causes the skin to produce it. However, people with dark skin, infants and almost anyone living north of about 40 degrees latitude – which is a huge portion of the U.S. population and most of Europe– are often deficient after months of inadequate winter sunshine.
Among the values and observations about vitamin D that are outlined in the new report:
Low levels of circulating vitamin D are associated with increased risk and mortality from cancer.
Vitamin D plays an important role in activating the immune system, fostering the "innate" immune response and controlling over-reaction of adaptive immunity, and as such may help control autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Cathelicidin can profoundly boost the innate immune system, and could form the basis for new therapies to combat pathogenic infections.
The regulation of cathelicidin by vitamin D, a unique biological pathway for the function of vitamin D that could help explain its multiple roles in proper immune function, is so important that it's only known to exist in two groups of animals - humans and non-human primates - and has been conserved in them through millions of years of evolution.
Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for tuberculosis, was historically used to treat it, and analogs of it may provide the basis for new therapeutic approaches not only to that disease but also HIV infection.
Epidemiological studies show a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased rates of respiratory infection and influenza, and it has been hypothesized that flu epidemics may be the result of vitamin D deficiency.
Higher levels of a protein linked to vitamin D have been associated with reduced infections and longer survival of dialysis patients.
Vitamin D has important roles in reducing inflammation, blood pressure and helping to protect against heart disease.
There is still much to explore about the mechanisms of action of vitamin D, the potential use of synthetic analogs of it in new therapies, and its role in fighting infection, Gombart said. Since only primates and humans have the same biological pathways for use of vitamin D to regulate cathelicidin, studies have been constrained by the lack of appropriate animal models for research, he said. OSU scientists hope to address that by creation of a line of genetically modified mice that have some of these characteristics.
One compelling new study just done by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah, and presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association, followed for more than a year nearly 28,000 patients ages 50 or older with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. It found that in patients with very low levels of vitamin D – compared to those with normal levels – 77 percent were more likely to die, 45 percent were more likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke.
Research at OSU on vitamin D and cathelicidin has been supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
adrian.gombart@oregonstate.edu
541-737-8018
Oregon State University
Multiple health concerns surface as winter, vitamin D deficiences arrive
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A string of recent discoveries about the multiple health benefits of vitamin D has renewed interest in this multi-purpose nutrient, increased awareness of the huge numbers of people who are deficient in it, spurred research and even led to an appreciation of it as "nature's antibiotic."
On issues ranging from the health of your immune system to prevention of heart disease and even vulnerability to influenza, vitamin D is now seen as one of the most critical nutrients for overall health. But it's also one of those most likely to be deficient – especially during winter when production of the "sunshine vitamin" almost grinds to a halt for millions of people in the United States, Europe and other northern temperate zones.
Analogs of the vitamin are even being considered for use as new therapies against tuberculosis, AIDS, and other concerns. And federal experts are considering an increase in the recommended daily intake of the vitamin as more evidence of its value emerges, especially for the elderly.
"About 70 percent of the population of the United States has insufficient levels of vitamin D," said Adrian Gombart, a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. "This is a critical issue as we learn more about the many roles it may play in fighting infection, balancing your immune response, helping to address autoimmune problems, and even preventing heart disease."
Those issues were just outlined in a new publication in Future Microbiology, a professional journal, on the latest findings on vitamin D research, at OSU and in many other programs around the world.
Of particular interest are findings made recently by OSU scientists that vitamin D induces the "expression" of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide gene. This explains in part how it helps serve as the first line of defense in your immune response against minor wounds, cuts, and both bacterial and viral infections. Experts believe advances in the use of cathelicidin may form the basis for new therapies.
Once believed to be related primarily to bone health and rickets – a disease caused by chronic deficiency of vitamin D – it's now understood that optimal levels of this nutrient influence much more than that.
"Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is a world-wide, public health problem in both developed and developing nations," the new report concluded. "Nearly one billion people world-wide are deficient."
Vitamin D can be obtained from the diet, often through supplemented foods such as milk, but those sources are rarely adequate, experts say. Most people get the bulk of this fat-soluble vitamin from the UV-B radiation in sun exposure, which naturally causes the skin to produce it. However, people with dark skin, infants and almost anyone living north of about 40 degrees latitude – which is a huge portion of the U.S. population and most of Europe– are often deficient after months of inadequate winter sunshine.
Among the values and observations about vitamin D that are outlined in the new report:
Low levels of circulating vitamin D are associated with increased risk and mortality from cancer.
Vitamin D plays an important role in activating the immune system, fostering the "innate" immune response and controlling over-reaction of adaptive immunity, and as such may help control autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Cathelicidin can profoundly boost the innate immune system, and could form the basis for new therapies to combat pathogenic infections.
The regulation of cathelicidin by vitamin D, a unique biological pathway for the function of vitamin D that could help explain its multiple roles in proper immune function, is so important that it's only known to exist in two groups of animals - humans and non-human primates - and has been conserved in them through millions of years of evolution.
Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for tuberculosis, was historically used to treat it, and analogs of it may provide the basis for new therapeutic approaches not only to that disease but also HIV infection.
Epidemiological studies show a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased rates of respiratory infection and influenza, and it has been hypothesized that flu epidemics may be the result of vitamin D deficiency.
Higher levels of a protein linked to vitamin D have been associated with reduced infections and longer survival of dialysis patients.
Vitamin D has important roles in reducing inflammation, blood pressure and helping to protect against heart disease.
There is still much to explore about the mechanisms of action of vitamin D, the potential use of synthetic analogs of it in new therapies, and its role in fighting infection, Gombart said. Since only primates and humans have the same biological pathways for use of vitamin D to regulate cathelicidin, studies have been constrained by the lack of appropriate animal models for research, he said. OSU scientists hope to address that by creation of a line of genetically modified mice that have some of these characteristics.
One compelling new study just done by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah, and presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association, followed for more than a year nearly 28,000 patients ages 50 or older with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. It found that in patients with very low levels of vitamin D – compared to those with normal levels – 77 percent were more likely to die, 45 percent were more likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke.
Research at OSU on vitamin D and cathelicidin has been supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
HEADLINE STORY: Vitamin D might be just as important as vaccine to prevent effects of H1N1 swine flu, researchers say
HEADLINE STORY: Vitamin D might be just as important as vaccine to prevent effects of H1N1 swine flu, researchers say
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Headline Story
DEC. 3, 2009 — The world’s leading vitamin D experts say that raising your levels of “the sunshine vitamin” this winter might be the best way to help your body naturally raise its resistance to all forms of the flu virus — including the H1N1 swine flu virus.
That’s the message vitamin D advocate Dr. William Grant wants you to take to the bank.
“I’m a little hesitant to say it will reduce your risk of being infected, but it certainly will reduce your risk of dying from the complications, such as pneumonia, if you are infected,” says Grant, founder of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center — a vitamin D research and advocacy group.
Grant is concerned that epidemic vitamin D deficiency in Canada — 97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient in the winter due to Canada’s northerly latitudes and relatively weak sunlight 4-6 months of the year — means that Canadians could be more susceptible to flu virus in the winter.
Grant points to research suggesting:
Higher vitamin D levels assist the body’s innate immune system. Some studies suggest taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D/day will decrease your risk of seasonal flu.
The groups most affected by the H1N1 swine flu virus have been those most likely to be vitamin D deficient: pregnant women, obese people, those with Type II diabetes and children with neurological disorders.
Many of the deaths associated with the H1N1 virus have been pneumonia related, which means anything that would assist your body’s innate immune system would make you less likely to be affected.
The worldwide vitamin D research community now recommends getting your vitamin D levels checked with a calcidiol test and maintaining vitamin D levels of 40-60 ng/ml.
For more information visit:
www.vitaminDsociety.org
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Headline Story
DEC. 3, 2009 — The world’s leading vitamin D experts say that raising your levels of “the sunshine vitamin” this winter might be the best way to help your body naturally raise its resistance to all forms of the flu virus — including the H1N1 swine flu virus.
That’s the message vitamin D advocate Dr. William Grant wants you to take to the bank.
“I’m a little hesitant to say it will reduce your risk of being infected, but it certainly will reduce your risk of dying from the complications, such as pneumonia, if you are infected,” says Grant, founder of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center — a vitamin D research and advocacy group.
Grant is concerned that epidemic vitamin D deficiency in Canada — 97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient in the winter due to Canada’s northerly latitudes and relatively weak sunlight 4-6 months of the year — means that Canadians could be more susceptible to flu virus in the winter.
Grant points to research suggesting:
Higher vitamin D levels assist the body’s innate immune system. Some studies suggest taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D/day will decrease your risk of seasonal flu.
The groups most affected by the H1N1 swine flu virus have been those most likely to be vitamin D deficient: pregnant women, obese people, those with Type II diabetes and children with neurological disorders.
Many of the deaths associated with the H1N1 virus have been pneumonia related, which means anything that would assist your body’s innate immune system would make you less likely to be affected.
The worldwide vitamin D research community now recommends getting your vitamin D levels checked with a calcidiol test and maintaining vitamin D levels of 40-60 ng/ml.
For more information visit:
www.vitaminDsociety.org
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