Prostate Cancer is associated with low vitamin D, blacks have 2X higher risk of PC death (no surprise) – Feb 2025

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The double disparity: Vitamin D deficiency and lethal prostate cancer in black men

The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Vol. 247, March 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2025.106675
Adriana Duraki a 1, Kirsten D. Krieger a 1, Larisa Nonn a b

Highlights

• Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly recognized as a contributing factor to the progression of lethal prostate cancer.
• Vitamin D plays a complex role in prostate health and cancer, influencing cell growth, inflammation, and tumor progression.
• Evidence suggests a significant link between low vitamin D and aggressive, lethal prostate cancer, particularly in Black men.
• Black men face a double disparity: an elevated risk of both vitamin D deficiency and lethal forms of prostate cancer.
• Limitations in study design contribute to inconsistent results, potentially masking protective effects of vitamin D in prostate cancer.

Epidemiological data from as early as the 1930s documented a dramatic racial disparity in prostate cancer incidence, survival, and mortality rates among Black men—a trend that persists to this day. Black men are disproportionately burdened by prostate cancer, developing the disease at younger ages, facing more aggressive and lethal forms, and ultimately experiencing double the mortality rate of men of European descent. Investigating the multifactorial contributors to this racial disparity has been extensive, but results have often been inconsistent or inconclusive, making it difficult to pinpoint clear correlations. However, there is strong evidence suggesting that vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with lethal forms of prostate cancer. This is particularly important given that Black men are at a higher risk for both vitamin D deficiency and developing aggressive, lethal prostate cancer, presenting a double disparity. The disparity in prostate cancer and vitamin D extends to Black men outside the US, but most of the studies have been done in African American men. Understanding the available evidence on vitamin D deficiency and its influence on prostate cancer biology may reveal new opportunities for prevention and therapeutic intervention.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

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VitaminDWiki - 10 studies in both categories Prostate Cancer and Dark Skin

This list is automatically updated

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VitaminDWiki – Overview Dark Skin and Vitamin D contains

FACT - - People with dark skins have more health problems and higher mortality rate than those with light skins
FACT - - People with dark skins have low levels of vitamin D
FACT - - People with light skins who have low vitamin D have health problems
OBSERVATION - - The health problems of whites with low level of vitamin D are similar to those with dark skins
CONCLUSION - - People with dark skins have more health problems due to low levels of vitamin D
African American Health Disparities are associated with low Vitamin D - Grant Feb 2021
Low Vitamin D increases health problems - independent of skin color

Dark Skin studies: Pregnancy (30 studies),  Genetics (13 studies),  Vitamin D Binding Protein (8 studies),  Vitamin D Receptor (7 studies),  Diabetes (25 studies),   Cardiovascular (18 studies),  Mortality (13 studies), Intervention (16 studies) Click here to see the studies

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VitaminDWiki – Blacks die more often than whites of many diseases (they have less vitamin D) – 2012 contains:

Cancer Facts & Figures for African Americans Cancer.org

• “African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial and ethnic group in the US for most cancers”
• Has a huge number of tables and charts, Note: Vitamin D is not mentioned

Leading Causes of Death as of March 2018

All Ages Death rate	Black	White	Ratio
Heart diseases	217	171	1.27
Cancer	199	170	1.17
Cerebrovascular diseases	51	36	1.4
Diabetes	40	19	2.0

Rates per 100,000    Age adjusted   Non-Hispanic

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Perplexity Black Prostate Cancer statistics

• 1 in 4 Black men developing prostate cancer - double the risk compared to other men.
• Black men have 60% higher incidence rates compared to white Americans
• Black men have a 44-75% higher risk of progression to metastatic disease
• Black men develop prostate cancer at a younger age, with diagnosis occurring approximately 3 years earlier than white men
• Black men are advised to begin PSA screening between ages 40 and 45