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Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental Jul 2023Recent research has revealed causes other than aging that may induce sarcopenia in young people, contrary to the long-studied age-dependent reduction in muscular mass... (Review)
Review
Recent research has revealed causes other than aging that may induce sarcopenia in young people, contrary to the long-studied age-dependent reduction in muscular mass and function. The risk of sarcopenia begins in early adulthood, resulting in exaggerated muscle dysfunction in later life. Despite its clinical significance, research on youth-onset sarcopenia is still in its infancy. Due to a paucity of epidemiologic data and standardized criteria for sarcopenia in youth, determining the prevalence of sarcopenia in the young population remains challenging. Based on the evidence, >1 in every 10 young adults of most ethnicities is estimated to have sarcopenia. This review summarizes the possible etiologies of sarcopenia in young populations, including metabolic syndrome, physical inactivity, inadequate nutrition, inherent and perinatal factors, vitamin D deficiency, endocrinopathy, an imbalance of gut microbiota, neuromuscular diseases, organ failure, malignancy, and other inflammatory disorders. This is the first review of the current knowledge on the importance, prevalence, diagnosis, and causes of sarcopenia in youth.
Topics: Young Adult; Humans; Adolescent; Adult; Sarcopenia; Aging; Metabolic Syndrome; Vitamin D Deficiency; Muscle, Skeletal
PubMed: 37080353
DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155557 -
Nutrients Sep 2023Both 25-autoimmunity and(25(OH)D: calcifediol) and its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D: calcitriol), play critical roles in protecting humans from... (Review)
Review
Both 25-autoimmunity and(25(OH)D: calcifediol) and its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D: calcitriol), play critical roles in protecting humans from invasive pathogens, reducing risks of autoimmunity, and maintaining health. Conversely, low 25(OH)D status increases susceptibility to infections and developing autoimmunity. This systematic review examines vitamin D's mechanisms and effects on enhancing innate and acquired immunity against microbes and preventing autoimmunity. The study evaluated the quality of evidence regarding biology, physiology, and aspects of human health on vitamin D related to infections and autoimmunity in peer-reviewed journal articles published in English. The search and analyses followed PRISMA guidelines. Data strongly suggested that maintaining serum 25(OH)D concentrations of more than 50 ng/mL is associated with significant risk reduction from viral and bacterial infections, sepsis, and autoimmunity. Most adequately powered, well-designed, randomized controlled trials with sufficient duration supported substantial benefits of vitamin D. Virtually all studies that failed to conclude benefits or were ambiguous had major study design errors. Treatment of vitamin D deficiency costs less than 0.01% of the cost of investigation of worsening comorbidities associated with hypovitaminosis D. Despite cost-benefits, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency remains high worldwide. This was clear among those who died from COVID-19 in 2020/21-most had severe vitamin D deficiency. Yet, the lack of direction from health agencies and insurance companies on using vitamin D as an adjunct therapy is astonishing. Data confirmed that keeping an individual's serum 25(OH)D concentrations above 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) (and above 40 ng/mL in the population) reduces risks from community outbreaks, sepsis, and autoimmune disorders. Maintaining such concentrations in 97.5% of people is achievable through daily safe sun exposure (except in countries far from the equator during winter) or taking between 5000 and 8000 IU vitamin D supplements daily (average dose, for non-obese adults, ~70 to 90 IU/kg body weight). Those with gastrointestinal malabsorption, obesity, or on medications that increase the catabolism of vitamin D and a few other specific disorders require much higher intake. This systematic review evaluates non-classical actions of vitamin D, with particular emphasis on infection and autoimmunity related to the immune system.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Vitamin D; Autoimmunity; COVID-19; Immune System; Autoimmune Diseases; Vitamins; Vitamin D Deficiency
PubMed: 37686873
DOI: 10.3390/nu15173842 -
Annals of Medicine Dec 2023Children's Vitamin D (VitD) fortification and supplementation are diminishing due to less outdoor exercise and insufficient VitD intake (low exogenous intake and... (Review)
Review
Children's Vitamin D (VitD) fortification and supplementation are diminishing due to less outdoor exercise and insufficient VitD intake (low exogenous intake and endogenous malabsorption induced by gastrointestinal disease). Consequently, children in many developed countries suffer from VitD deficiency, which may contribute to many paediatric disorders. Our review briefly introduced the metabolic process of VitD, summarized the role of VitD in paediatric diseases such as autism, obesity, rickets and asthma. We sought to identify the link between VitD deficiency and these diseases.
Topics: Child; Humans; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamin D; Vitamins; Obesity; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 36495273
DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2154381 -
The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and... Jul 2023In this review, we summarize the most recent advances in vitamin D cancer research to provide molecular clarity, as well as its translational trajectory across the... (Review)
Review
In this review, we summarize the most recent advances in vitamin D cancer research to provide molecular clarity, as well as its translational trajectory across the cancer landscape. Vitamin D is well known for its role in regulating mineral homeostasis; however, vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to the development and progression of a number of cancer types. Recent epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic studies have revealed novel vitamin D-mediated biological mechanisms that regulate cancer cell self-renewal, differentiation, proliferation, transformation, and death. Tumor microenvironmental studies have also revealed dynamic relationships between the immune system and vitamin D's anti-neoplastic properties. These findings help to explain the large number of population-based studies that show clinicopathological correlations between circulating vitamin D levels and risk of cancer development and death. The majority of evidence suggests that low circulating vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of cancers, whereas supplementation alone or in combination with other chemo/immunotherapeutic drugs may improve clinical outcomes even further. These promising results still necessitate further research and development into novel approaches that target vitamin D signaling and metabolic systems to improve cancer outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Vitamin D; Proteomics; Vitamins; Neoplasms; Vitamin D Deficiency; Antineoplastic Agents; Receptors, Calcitriol
PubMed: 37054849
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2023.106308 -
Vnitrni Lekarstvi 2023Osteomalacia with characteristic histomorphometric, radiographic, laboratory and clinical features is a prominent syndrome of disturbed bone mineralisation in adulthood....
Osteomalacia with characteristic histomorphometric, radiographic, laboratory and clinical features is a prominent syndrome of disturbed bone mineralisation in adulthood. From an etiological point of view, osteomalacia is usually caused by substrate (calcium, phosphate) deficiency, presence of excess mineralization inhibitors or deficiency or ineffectivness of mineralization facilitator (vitamin D). In proportion to the high number of congenital and acquired causes of osteomalacia, its clinical and laboratory picture is heterogeneous and rarely fully expressed. The treatment of a particular case is determined by the cause of osteomalacia and may (but does not necessarily) include correction of the underlying disease, administration of calcium and various forms of vitamin D, as well as orthopaedic interventions. For some of the hereditary forms, biological or replacement therapy is prospectively available. The article attempts to cover the whole range of osteomalacia variants, mentioning a fact discussed only in recent years - the occurrence of oligosymptomatic, incompletely expressed forms.
Topics: Humans; Osteomalacia; Calcium; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency; Syndrome; Vitamins
PubMed: 37468295
DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2023.048 -
BMC Medicine Oct 2023Sedentary behavior and vitamin D deficiency are independent risk factors for mortality in cancer survivors, but their joint association with mortality has not been...
BACKGROUND
Sedentary behavior and vitamin D deficiency are independent risk factors for mortality in cancer survivors, but their joint association with mortality has not been investigated.
METHODS
We analyzed data from 2914 cancer survivors who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2018) and followed up with them until December 31, 2019. Sedentary behavior was assessed by self-reported daily hours of sitting, and vitamin D status was measured by serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels.
RESULTS
Among 2914 cancer survivors, vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in those with prolonged daily sitting time. During up to 13.2 years (median, 5.6 years) of follow-up, there were 676 deaths (cancer, 226; cardiovascular disease, 142; other causes, 308). The prolonged sitting time was associated with a higher risk of all-cause and noncancer mortality, and vitamin D deficiency was associated with a higher risk of all-cause and cancer mortality. Furthermore, cancer survivors with both prolonged sitting time (≥ 6 h/day) and vitamin D deficiency had a significantly higher risk of all-cause (HR, 2.05; 95% CI: 1.54-2.72), cancer (HR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.47-3.70), and noncancer mortality (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.33-2.74) than those with neither risk factor after adjustment for potential confounders.
CONCLUSIONS
In a nationally representative sample of U.S. cancer survivors, the joint presence of sedentary behavior and vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality.
Topics: Humans; Cancer Survivors; Sedentary Behavior; Nutrition Surveys; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency; Risk Factors; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37904126
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03118-9 -
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology... Sep 2023Long COVID is an emerging syndrome affecting 50% to 70% of COVID-19 survivors that still lacks predicting factors.
CONTEXT
Long COVID is an emerging syndrome affecting 50% to 70% of COVID-19 survivors that still lacks predicting factors.
OBJECTIVE
Due to the extraskeletal effects of vitamin D, we retrospectively assessed the association between 25(OH) vitamin D levels and long COVID in COVID-19 survivors 6 months after hospitalization.
METHODS
Long COVID was defined according to NICE guidelines. Fifty long COVID and 50 non-long-COVID subjects matched on a 1:1 basis were enrolled from an outpatient clinic post-COVID cohort seen from August to November 2020. Therapies/comorbidities affecting calcium/vitamin D/bone metabolism, and/or admission to the intensive care unit during hospitalization were exclusion criteria. 25(OH) Vitamin D was measured at hospital admission and 6 months after discharge.
RESULTS
We observed lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels, evaluated at follow-up, in subjects with long COVID than those without (20.1 vs 23.2 ng/mL, P = .03). Regarding the affected health areas evaluated in the entire cohort, we observed lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels in those with neurocognitive symptoms at follow-up (n = 7) than those without (n = 93) (14.6 vs 20.6 ng/mL, P = .042). In patients presenting vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL), both at admission and at follow-up (n = 42), those affected by long COVID (n = 22) presented lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels at follow-up than those not affected (n = 20) (12.7 vs 15.2 ng/mL, P = .041). In multiple regression analyses, lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels at follow-up were the only variable significantly associated with long COVID in our cohort (P = .008, OR 1.09, CI 1.01-1.16).
CONCLUSION
COVID-19 survivors with long COVID have lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels than matched patients without long COVID. Our data suggest that vitamin D levels should be evaluated in COVID-19 patients after hospital discharge. The role of vitamin D supplementation as a preventive strategy of COVID-19 sequelae should be tested in randomized controlled trials.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Retrospective Studies; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamins; Survivors
PubMed: 37051747
DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgad207 -
Nutrients Jun 2023Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone, acting through genomic and non-genomic mechanisms, obtainable via two main sources: diet and exposure to ultraviolet B rays...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone, acting through genomic and non-genomic mechanisms, obtainable via two main sources: diet and exposure to ultraviolet B rays [...].
Topics: Humans; Vitamin D; Vitamins; Diet; Ultraviolet Rays; Vitamin D Deficiency
PubMed: 37447228
DOI: 10.3390/nu15132902 -
Nutrients Jan 2024Vitamin D deficiency is considered a public health problem due to its worldwide high prevalence and adverse clinical consequences regarding musculoskeletal health. In... (Review)
Review
Vitamin D deficiency is considered a public health problem due to its worldwide high prevalence and adverse clinical consequences regarding musculoskeletal health. In addition, vitamin D may also be crucial for the prevention of certain extraskeletal diseases. Despite decades of intensive scientific research, several knowledge gaps remain regarding the precise definition of vitamin D deficiency and sufficiency, the health benefits of improving vitamin D status, and the required vitamin D intakes. Consequently, various societies and expert groups have released heterogeneous recommendations on the dosages for vitamin D supplementation. In this brief narrative review, we outline and discuss recent advances regarding the scientific evidence arguing for a daily vitamin D supplementation with 2000 international units (IU) (50 µg) of vitamin D3 to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency. According to data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), such a dose may improve some health outcomes and is sufficient to raise and maintain serum 25(OH)D concentrations above 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) and above 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL) in >99% and >90% of the general adult population, respectively. According to large vitamin D RCTs, there are no significant safety concerns in supplementing such a dose for several years, even in individuals with an already sufficient vitamin D status at baseline. A daily vitamin D supplementation with 2000 IU (50 µg) may be considered a simple, effective, and safe dosage to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency in the adult general population.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Vitamin D; Dietary Supplements; Vitamins; Cholecalciferol; Vitamin D Deficiency
PubMed: 38337676
DOI: 10.3390/nu16030391 -
Basic & Clinical Pharmacology &... Jul 2023The single-stranded RNA virus, SARS-CoV-2, causing the COVID-19 pandemic, has severely impacted daily life globally. It has been suggested to supplement the general... (Review)
Review
The single-stranded RNA virus, SARS-CoV-2, causing the COVID-19 pandemic, has severely impacted daily life globally. It has been suggested to supplement the general population with vitamin D to reduce the impact of COVID-19. Nevertheless, no clear consensus can be found as to whether vitamin D affects COVID-19 disease burden. Some studies found that vitamin D levels and/or vitamin D supplementation alleviated COVID-19 disease severity and mortality. Contrarily, other studies found no such effects of vitamin D. To understand this lack of consensus, it is relevant to investigate molecular studies of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), as such studies might explain apparent controversies. We have investigated recent studies of how transcriptional regulation by the VDR affects the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. One study found that cells from severe COVID-19 patients displayed a dysregulated vitamin D response. Contrarily, another study observed a normal immune response towards SARS-CoV-2 in a patient with a non-functional VDR. These observations indicate that hypovitaminosis D is not a prerequisite for an efficient immune response against SARS-CoV-2 and therefore not a driving factor for developing severe COVID-19. However, should a patient develop severe COVID-19, vitamin D seems to be beneficial potentially by dampening the cytokine storm.
Topics: Humans; Vitamin D; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; COVID-19; Vitamins; Vitamin D Deficiency
PubMed: 37038047
DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13872