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To: El Gato; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Robert A. Cook, PE; lepton; LadyDoc; jb6; tiamat; PGalt; Dianna; ...
For black FReepers, please note that supplemental vitamin D is not without risk as I have excerpted below as well as the fact that's been known for decades that blacks suffer from osteoporosis and its related fractures much less than whites.

Skepticism Mounts on Need for Vitamin D Supplementation

One of these concerns is that not all of the extra calcium absorption promoted by boosting vitamin D is going into bone to prevent fractures. Some of it may actually be taken up by atherosclerotic plaque, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events, Dr. Lenore M. Buckley cautioned at a symposium sponsored by the American College of Rheumatology.

--snip--

Discussing findings from a recent cross-sectional study involving 340 African American patients with type 2 diabetes, Dr. Buckley said that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were positively associated with increased calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the aorta and carotid arteries (J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2010 Jan. 8, 2010; [doi:10.1210/jc.2009-1797]

“The effects of supplementing vitamin D to raise the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level on atherosclerosis in African Americans are unknown. Prospective trials are needed,” the investigators said.

--snip--

There is intriguing evidence to indicate the optimal level of vitamin D to promote bone health, muscle strength, immunity, and other key functions may vary by race. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that very few white children aged 1-12 years are vitamin D deficient using the classic threshold of 15 ng/mL. In contrast, about 10% of non-Hispanic black 1- to 6-year-olds are vitamin D deficient, as are close to 30% of those in the 7- to 12-years-old age bracket (Pediatrics 2009; 124: e362-70 [doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0051]).

Many observers see this racial disparity as a public health problem reflecting unequal access to services. But there is a conundrum here: If vitamin D deficiency is rampant in black children, why do they have greater bone strength and muscle mass, on average, than white children?

Such observations make “one wonder whether the definition of normal levels should vary by race,” according to the rheumatologist.

Support for this theory comes from studies showing that pushing serum vitamin D levels to 30 ng/mL or higher in whites reduces their parathyroid hormone levels, while pushing levels above 20 ng/ml in African Americans—young or old—doesn't further decrease parathyroid hormone or increase bone density.

Asked by audience members what she does about vitamin D in her own practice, Dr. Buckley said she generally tries to get patients into the 20-29 ng/mL range, while in African Americans and patients with known cardiovascular disease she aims for 15 ng/mL or slightly more—“and I worry that might be too high sometimes.”


57 posted on 05/25/2011 1:37:12 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: neverdem

Can you enlighten us why you became interested in vitamin D and why we should listen to you?


58 posted on 05/25/2011 2:49:20 PM PDT by brytlea (If you don't know what APOD is you'd better find out!)
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