Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for keeping bones and muscles healthy.
This study showed a link between vitamin D deficiency and premature death.
One in three Australians still suffers from mild, moderate or severe vitamin D deficiency, despite the fact that sunlight is the main source of the vitamin.
Now, new research from University of South Australia provide compelling evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated with premature mortality and encourage individuals to follow guidelines for healthy vitamin D levels.
Research published in journals Annals of internal medicineshowed that the risk of death increased with the severity of vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that helps keep bones and muscles strong and healthy and in good health.
Josh Sutherland is the lead author and holds a Ph.D. UniSA students point out that while vitamin D has been linked to mortality, it is difficult to prove a causal relationship.
“Severe vitamin D deficiency is rarer in Australia than anywhere else in the world, but it affects vulnerable people, the elderly and those who do not get enough vitamin D from healthy sun exposure and diet. It’s possible,” says Sutherland.
“Our study provides strong evidence for a relationship between low levels of vitamin D and mortality, and is the first study of its kind to include respiratory disease-related mortality as a result. We used a new genetic method to investigate and confirm the non-linear relationship seen in the observed setting, which could provide strong evidence for the relationship between low vitamin D status and premature mortality. I made it.”
He continued, “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with mortality, but clinical trials often fail to recruit people with low vitamin D levels or are barred from including participants with vitamin D deficiency.” Therefore, it was difficult to establish a causal relationship.”
In Mendel’s randomized study, 307,601 records from the UK Biobank were evaluated. Low levels of vitamin D were found to be less than 25 nmol/L with an average concentration of 45.2 nmol/L. During a 14-year follow-up period, researchers found that increasing vitamin D levels significantly reduced the risk of death, with the strongest effects seen in people with severe deficiency.
Professor Elina Hyppönen, Senior Research Fellow and Director of UniSA’s Australian Center for Precision Medicine, establishes effective public health strategies to help achieve national guidelines and reduce the risk of premature death associated with low vitamin D levels. says further research is needed.
“The key message here is simple: prevention is the key. Thinking is not enough,” says Professor Hypponen.
“It is critical that public health efforts continue to ensure that vulnerable people and older adults maintain adequate vitamin D levels throughout the year.”
Reference: “Vitamin D deficiency increases mortality risk in UK Biobank,” Joshua P. Sutherland, BHSc Nut Med (Hons), Ang Zhou, Ph.D. and Dr. Elina Hyppönen, November 2022, Available here. Annals of internal medicine.
DOI: 10.7326/M21-3324
This study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
