Novel roles of vitamin D in disease: What is new in 2011

Created August 2011

 

J Intern Med. 2011 Aug;22(4):355-62. Epub 2011 May 31.

Makariou S, Liberopoulos EN, Elisaf M, Challa A.

Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece; Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.

Vitamin D is a steroid molecule, mainly produced in the skin that regulates the expression of a large number of genes. Until recently its main known role was to control bone metabolism and calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. During the last 2 decades it has been realized that vitamin D deficiency, which is really common worldwide, could be a new risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as the metabolic syndrome and its components, the whole spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, several auto-immune conditions, and many types of cancer as well as all-cause mortality.

Except for the great number of epidemiological studies that support the above presumptions, vitamin D receptors (VDRs) have been identified in many tissues and cells. The effect of vitamin D supplementation remains controversial and the need for more persuasive study outcomes is intense.

Copyright © 2011 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PMID: 21767752

  1. Vitamin D and all-cause mortality

  2. Vitamin D and the metabolic syndrome

  3. Vitamin D and hypertension

  4. Vitamin D and glucose metabolism

  5. Vitamin D and lipid metabolism

  6. Vitamin D and cardiovascular effects

  7. Vtamin D and heart failure

  8. Vitamin D and stroke

  9. Vitamin D and renal disease

  10. Vitamin D and immune system effects

  11. Vitamin D and cancer

  12. Viamin D supplementation and safety issues