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AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Does vitamin D deficiency contribute to increased rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in African Americans?
Authors: Harris SS Author Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center Address: on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. susan.harris@tufts.edu Source: The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition [Am J Clin Nutr] 2011 May; Vol. 93 (5), pp. 1175S-8S. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Mar 02. Publication Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Type: Language: English Journal Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0376027 Publication Model: Information: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1938-3207 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00029165 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am. J. Clin. Nutr. Subsets: Core Clinical (AIM); MEDLINE MeSH Terms: African Americans* Health Status Disparities* Cardiovascular Diseases/*ethnology Cardiovascular Diseases/*etiology Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*ethnology Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*etiology Vitamin D Deficiency/*physiopathology Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/prevention & control; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Prevalence; United States/epidemiology; Vitamin D/administration & dosage; Vitamin D/metabolism; Vitamin D/therapeutic use; Vitamin D Deficiency/drug therapy Abstract: African Americans have higher rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and some forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than do European Americans. African

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Americans also have much higher rates of vitamin D deficiency. There is emerging evidence that vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for hypertension, T2D, and CVD, but the extent to which racial disparities in disease rates are explained by racial differences in vitamin D status is uncertain. Despite a large number of observational studies and a limited number of clinical trials that examined 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations as a potential determinant of CVD and T2D or its precursors, it remains uncertain whether improving vitamin D status would reduce risk of these conditions in the general US population or in African Americans specifically. However, if the associations reported from the observational studies are of the estimated magnitudes and causal, vitamin D supplementation could potentially have a strong preventive effect on some of these conditions and could reduce race-related disparities in their prevalence. Because of the low 25(OH)D concentrations of many, if not most, African Americans, and the low risk associated with vitamin D supplementation, it is important to obtain more definitive answers to these questions. Substance 1406-16-2 (Vitamin D) Nomenclature: Entry Dates: Date Created: 20110421 Date Completed: 20110715 Update Code: 20110715 PMID: 21367947 Database: MEDLINE with Full Text

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