Vitamin D News and Research

Latest Vitamin D News and Research

Foods fortified with folic acid can prevent neural tube defects

Wheat flour milled in Nigeria will soon be fortified with folic acid, a B vitamin known for preventing serious or fatal birth defects of the spine and brain. Women who may become pregnant are encouraged to daily choose foods fortified with this essential vitamin because it can prevent the majority of these devastating birth defects known as neural tube defects.

21 Jun 2012

Osteoporosis screening recommended for men at risk

Men at increased risk for osteoporosis should undergo bone mineral density testing with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, concludes The Endocrine Society’s Clinical Practice Guideline “Osteoporosis in Men.”

20 Jun 2012

Evidence mounts for vitamin D multiple sclerosis role

Three studies published in Neurology add weight to the theory that vitamin D levels have an important effect on relapse rates and cerebral lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis.

20 Jun 2012

IOF review outlines pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in young adults

Much of the research defining osteoporosis and fracture risk has focused on older adults, i.e. postmenopausal women and men over the age of 50. While older adults are at highest risk of osteoporosis and related fractures, the disease can also affect younger adults between 20 and 50 years of age. However, the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in young adults is complicated by special challenges, including a complex pathophysiology and the related fact that there is no clear definition of osteoporosis, or of intervention thresholds, in this age group.

20 Jun 2012

Sun exposure, vitamin D and pancreatic cancer risk

High levels of ultraviolet radiation at an individual's birth location, sun-sensitive skin type and a history of skin cancer each decreased risk for pancreatic cancer, according to study results presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges conference, held here June 18-21.

20 Jun 2012

Affordability of diarrhea treatment offers hope for improving child survival

In this post in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog, Doug Horswill, senior vice president of the Canadian resource company Teck, and Venkatesh Mannar, president of the Micronutrient Initiative, which works to eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the world's most vulnerable populations, examine global efforts to end child deaths from diarrhea, a campaign they say "many are calling the next revolution in child survival."

20 Jun 2012

Zimbabwe launches week-long immunization campaign with funding from Japan

"Zimbabwe embarked on a massive immunization campaign against measles and polio on Monday, targeting about two million children under the age of five," VOA News reports.

20 Jun 2012

Bariatric procedure increases risk of alcohol use disorders two years after surgery

Adults who had a common bariatric surgery to lose weight had a significantly higher risk of alcohol use disorders (AUD) two years after surgery, according to a study by a National Institutes of Health research consortium.

20 Jun 2012

Young men with HIV more likely to experience low bone mass

Young men being treated for HIV are more likely to experience low bone mass than are other men their age, according to results from a research network supported by the National Institutes of Health. The findings indicate that physicians who care for these patients should monitor them regularly for signs of bone thinning, which could foretell a risk for fractures. The young men in the study did not have HIV at birth and had been diagnosed with HIV an average of two years earlier.

20 Jun 2012

Clinical practice guidelines for management of osteoporosis in men

Osteoporosis in men causes significant morbidity and mortality. Today, the Endocrine Society released clinical practice guidelines (CPG) for management of this condition in men.

19 Jun 2012

$Combination of low-dose vitamin D and calcium does not reduce fracture risk in women$

Combination of low-dose vitamin D and calcium does not reduce fracture risk in women

Vitamin D and calcium are dietary requirements, but it's unclear how much is best for us. New draft findings by the United States Preventive Services Task Force conclude that for healthy, postmenopausal women, daily supplementation with low levels of vitamin D — up to 400 international units — combined with 1,000 milligrams of calcium, does not reduce fracture risk.

16 Jun 2012

$Hip fracture mortality increases with even mild cognitive decline$

Hip fracture mortality increases with even mild cognitive decline

Patients with just mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment have a high risk for nursing home admission and mortality during the first year after hip fracture, researchers report.

15 Jun 2012

Calcium with vitamin D supplements reduces risk of mortality in seniors

A study recently published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) suggests that vitamin D-when taken with calcium-can reduce the rate of mortality in seniors, therefore providing a possible means of increasing life expectancy.

15 Jun 2012

Folic acid taken during first month of pregnancy reduces risk of autism in children

A new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute suggests that women who consume the recommended daily dosage of folic acid, the synthetic form of folate or vitamin B-9, during the first month of pregnancy may have a reduced risk of having a child with autism.

15 Jun 2012

High doses of tiny milk vitamin produces numerous health benefits in mice

A novel form of vitamin B3 found in milk in small quantities produces remarkable health benefits in mice when high doses are administered, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland.

15 Jun 2012

Vitamin D deficiency may account for unexplained disparities in cancer survival rates

A paper just published in Dermato-Endocrinology suggests that vitamin D deficiency may account for unexplained disparities in cancer survival rates between African and White Americans.

10 Jun 2012

Antioxidant cream may protect against skin irritation from cleaning products

Applying a cream containing antioxidants to the skin before using cleaning products may help to prevent associated skin irritation, particularly for people who such products regularly, say German scientists.

8 Jun 2012

Vitamin A supplements may reduce skin cancer risk

Taking vitamin A supplements reduces the risk for developing a deadly form of skin cancer called melanoma, say US researchers.

8 Jun 2012

Positive results from Amgen Sensipar/Mimpara Phase 3 trial for HPT, CKD

Amgen today announced top-line results of the Phase 3 EVOLVE (EValuation Of Cinacalcet HCl Therapy to Lower CardioVascular Events) trial, which evaluated Sensipar/Mimpara (cinacalcet) for the reduction of the risk of mortality and cardiovascular (CV) events among 3,883 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving dialysis.

8 Jun 2012

What are vitamins?

Most people have heard of vitamin C and its effects upon the body; but how much do you know about other vitamins? How many even are there? And what do they all do?

8 Jun 2012