Vitamin D News and Research

Latest Vitamin D News and Research

Study finds nearly 50% decline in child mortality in Niger over the last decade

A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Niger Countdown Case Study Working Group found that child mortality in Niger-one of the world's poorest countries-declined nearly 50 percent over the last decade.

21 Sep 2012

Amgen receives FDA approval for Prolia to treat bone loss in men with osteoporosis

Amgen today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new indication for Prolia (denosumab) as a treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture.

21 Sep 2012

Cytochroma commences CTAP101 phase 3 study in secondary hyperparathyroidism

Cytochroma today announced the initiation of a phase 3 study of CTAP101 capsules in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and vitamin D insufficiency.

21 Sep 2012

Alendronate decreases BMD loss in prostate cancer

Weekly administration of oral biphosphonate alendronate could reduce loss of bone mineral density in prostate cancer patients who start androgen-deprivation therapy, show study findings.

19 Sep 2012

Vitamin D deficiency common in critically ill children

Children who are critically ill frequently have low serum levels of vitamin D, report researchers.

18 Sep 2012

Vitamin E may prevent cancer in patients with Cowden Syndrome

Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that vitamin E may prevent cancer in patients with an under-recognized genetic disorder.

18 Sep 2012

Fortified foods program aims to alleviate malnutrition in Afghanistan

Noting the Copenhagen Consensus has stated that "large-scale micronutrient fortification is a proven and cost-effective intervention that can mitigate malnutrition in the form of vitamin and mineral deficiencies and enhance the well-being of millions."

14 Sep 2012

Urban air pollution exposure during pregnancy may lead to lower vitamin D levels in offspring

Gestational exposure to ambient urban air pollution, especially during late pregnancy, may contribute to lower vitamin D levels in offspring, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).

14 Sep 2012

First study to report on vitamin D levels in large groups of critically ill children

Vitamin D is increasingly being recognized as important for good health. Vitamin D is a hormone made in the skin following sun exposure or acquired from diet and supplement intake. Previous medical research has shown that low body levels of vitamin D make people more susceptible to problems such as bone fractures, poor mental health and infections like the common cold.

13 Sep 2012

Interventions can help prevent older people from falling

There is now strong evidence that some interventions can prevent falls in people over the age of 65 who are living in their own homes. However, the researchers who reached this conclusion say that care is needed when choosing interventions, as some have no effect. The full details are published this month in The Cochrane Library. This is an update of a previous report that contains data from 51 additional trials, enabling the authors to reach many more conclusions.

12 Sep 2012

Book shows how vitamin A deficiency affected millions of people throughout history

Lifting the shadow of death - Intriguing reading for specialists and the interested public alike. This book shows how vitamin A deficiency - before the vitamin was known to scientists - affected millions of people throughout history. It is a story of sailors and soldiers, penniless mothers, orphaned infants, and young children left susceptible to blindness and fatal infections. We also glimpse the fortunate ones who, with ample vitamin A-rich food, escaped this elusive stalker.

12 Sep 2012

Serum-concentration of antioxidants is significantly lower in patients with mild dementia

Forgetfulness, lack of orientation, cognitive decline… about 700, 000 Germans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Now researchers from the University of Ulm, among them the Epidemiologist Professor Gabriele Nagel and the Neurologist Professor Christine von Arnim, have discovered that the serum-concentration of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene are significantly lower in patients with mild dementia than in control persons.

12 Sep 2012

Methodist Hospital develops new technology to rapidly detect drug-resistant TB

Technology developed by scientists at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute could halve the time it takes to diagnose tuberculosis infection, and also tell doctors in a day or two whether the bacteria are drug resistant -- a process that currently takes weeks. Initial tests of the device were recently described in Scientific Reports, a Nature online journal.

11 Sep 2012

Antioxidants improve sperm quality in infertile men

Infertile men may benefit from taking antioxidant supplements to improve sperm quality, study findings suggest.

10 Sep 2012

Distribution infrastructure, effective education important for success of micronutrient powders to treat childhood anemia

In this post in the New York Times' "Opinionator" blog, journalist Sam Loewenberg examines the administration of micronutrient powders as a treatment option for anemia, "one of the most pervasive problems affecting the world's children, and one that goes largely unaddressed."

7 Sep 2012

Vitamin D supplements have unintended lipid consequences

Correcting vitamin D levels in individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease may have detrimental effects on their lipid profiles, report researchers.

6 Sep 2012

Study sheds light on why women gain fat following menopause

A high-fat diet triggers chemical reactions in female mice that could explain why women are more likely than men to gain fat in the abdomen after eating excess saturated fat, new research suggests. The study also sheds light on why women gain fat following menopause.

6 Sep 2012

Study questions use of vitamin D supplements to improve cholesterol

Vitamin D has been touted for its beneficial effects on a range of human systems, from enhancing bone health to reducing the risk of developing certain cancers. But it does not improve cholesterol levels, according to a new study conducted at The Rockefeller University Hospital.

From Quest Diagnostics 5 Sep 2012

Meijer offers generic Lipitor for free to help families be heart healthy

In an effort to help families be heart healthy, this week Midwest retailer Meijer began offering the generic substitute for Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) for free in all 199 Meijer pharmacies.

4 Sep 2012

Study finds little significant difference in health benefits between organic and conventional foods

You're in the supermarket eyeing a basket of sweet, juicy plums. You reach for the conventionally grown stone fruit, then decide to spring the extra $1/pound for its organic cousin. You figure you've just made the healthier decision by choosing the organic product - but new findings from Stanford University cast some doubt on your thinking.

4 Sep 2012