PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate how serum vitamin D levels are related to survival of terminally ill cancer patients. METHODS: From May 2012 through June 2013, a retrospective chart review was performed on 96 hospice patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with severe vitamin D deficiency and Coxcy and Coxional hazard analyses were used to evaluate effects on survival. RESULTS: The mean vitamin D level in patients was 8.60+/-7.16 ng/ml. Vitamin D was severely deficient (<10 ng/ml) in 75 patients (78.2%), deficient (10~20 ng/ml) in 13 patients (13.5%), relatively insufficient (21~29 ng/ml) in five patients (8.3%) and sufficient ((t ng/ml) in three patients (3.1%). Hyperbilirubinemia (> or =1.2 g/dl) was the only factor associated with severe vitamin D deficiency according to the multiple logistic regression analysis (Odds ratio, OR=18.48, P<0.05). Although hyperbilirubinemia showed a strong association with survival (Hazard ratio, HR=2.25, P<0.01), no association was found between severe vitamin D deficiency and survival (HR=1.15, P>0.05) in Cox's proportional hazard analysis. CONCLUSION: Although serum vitamin D levels were severely low in terminally ill cancer patients, we found no association between severe vitamin D deficiency and patient survival.
Hospices ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Logistic Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis ; Terminal Care ; Terminally Ill* ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and risk factors associated with mortality in patients > or =50-year-of-age with hip fractures. METHODS: A total of 489 patients > or =50-year-of-age who sustained a hip fracture from January 2010 to October 2014 were followed-up for a minimum of 1 year. Clinical and radiological outcomes were evaluated including prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. Crude mortality rates were calculated, and the effects of different risk factors on mortality were assessed. RESULTS: Vitamin D deficiency was present in 76.5% of cases (n=237). The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was 12.3%, and only 11.2% of patients had normal vitamin D levels. Accumulated mortality was 11% (54 patients) at 1 year. A univariate analysis showed that vitamin D deficiency (P=0.012), age (P<0.001), BMI (P<0.001), type of management (P<0.001), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (P=0.009), pre-fracture ambulatory status (P<0.001), and osteoporosis (P<0.001) were associated with mortality. A multivariate analysis performed using a Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that ASA score (P=0.001) and pre-fracture ambulatory status (P=0.011) were independently associated with mortality after hip fracture. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a relationship between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels and mortality after hip fracture, although we observed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and a significant association with mortality in the univariate analysis.
Hip Fractures ; Hip* ; Humans ; Mortality* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors* ; Vitamin D Deficiency* ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: Asthma and other allergic disorders have increased over the past decades in nearly all nations. Many studies have suggested the role of vitamin D deficiency in both T-helper1 and T-helper2 diseases; however, the association between vitamin D, allergy, and asthma remains uncertain. In this study, the associations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels with asthma and with the severity of asthma were evaluated. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 asthmatic children and 50 healthy controls aged 6-18 years. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels were determined and compared between the two groups. The relationship between serum vitamin D levels and pulmonary function test outcomes and eosinophil counts were examined in asthmatic patients. RESULTS: Univariate analysis of the relationship between asthma and vitamin D showed that decreased vitamin D levels were associated with significantly increased odds of asthmatic state (P=0.002). In a multivariate analysis after adjustment for age, body mass index, and sex, the relationship between vitamin D and asthma increased. In asthmatic patients, 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels had direct and significant correlations with both predicted FEV1 (R2=0.318; P=0.024) and FEV1/FVC (R2=0.315; P=0.026). There were no associations between vitamin D level and eosinophil counts, duration of disease, and the number of hospitalization or unscheduled visits in the previous year (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were inversely associated with asthma, and there was a direct and significant relationship between vitamin D levels and pulmonary function test outcomes in asthmatic children. An interventional study in asthmatic patients with low serum vitamin D concentration may establish a causal relationship between asthma and vitamin D.
Aged ; Asthma ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Cholecalciferol ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Eosinophils ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Multivariate Analysis ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamins

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Deficiencies of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) are prevalent in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Liver fibrosis is the main determinant of CLD prognosis. The present study was performed to evaluate the correlation between 25(OH)D levels and liver fibrosis as assessed by transient elastography (TE) in patients with compensated CLD. METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D levels and liver stiffness were determined in a total of 207 patients who were subjected to the following exclusion criteria: patients with decompensated CLD; patients who had malignancies; patients who were taking medications; and patients who were pregnant. RESULTS: The most common etiology was chronic hepatitis B (53.1%). Advanced liver fibrosis (defined by TE [≥9.5 kPa]) was present in 75 patients (36.2%). There was a significant correlation between 25(OH)D deficiency and liver stiffness. Based on the multivariate analysis, the following factors were independently associated with advanced liver fibrosis: 25(OH)D deficiency (odds ratio [OR], 3.46; p=0.004), diabetes mellitus (OR, 3.04; p=0.041), and fibrosis-4 index (OR, 2.01; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with compensated CLD exhibit a close correlation between vitamin D level and liver stiffness as assessed by TE. Vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with advanced liver fibrosis.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques* ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency

The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) has been recently documented. In this study, 280 girls diagnosed with ICPP and 188 normal puberty control girls of similar ages were enrolled and retrospectively studied. The ICPP group had significantly lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels than the control group. Furthermore, a nonlinear relationship was found between serum 25[OH]D and ICPP, and a cut-off point for serum 25[OH]D was found at 31.8 ng/ml for ICPP with and without adjusting the different confounding factors. Girls with serum 25[OH]D ≥ 31.8 ng/ml had a lower odds ratio (unadjusted: OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.83, P < 0.05; height and weight adjusted: OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.08, P = 0.072; BMI adjusted: OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.84, P < 0.05). The ICPP subjects with 25[OH]D deficiency had a higher body mass index (BMI) than the subjects from the two other subgroups. Correlation analysis showed that vitamin D level is correlated with BMI and some metabolic parameters in the ICPP group. Our study suggested that vitamin D status may be associated with ICPP risk and may have a threshold effect on ICPP.
Body Mass Index ; Child ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Puberty, Precocious ; blood ; complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Vitamin D ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; epidemiology

Evidence of the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and metabolic syndrome (MeS) remains uncertain and incongruent. This study aimed to determine the association between 25(OH)D and MeS among Jordanian adults. A complex multistage sampling technique was used to select a national population-based household sample. The present report deals exclusively with adults aged > 18 years who had complete information on all components of MeS (n = 3,234). A structured questionnaire was used to collect all relevant information. Anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory measurements were obtained. MeS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition. Of the total, 42.0% had MeS and 31.7% had 25(OH)D < 30 ng/ml. In a stratified analysis, the prevalence of MeS did not differ significantly between subjects with low and normal 25(OH)D levels for men and women in all age groups. In the multivariate analysis, the odds of MeS were not significantly different between subjects with low and normal 25(OH)D levels (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.05, P-value = 0.133). The association between 25(OH)D and MeS remained non-significant when 25(OH)D was analyzed as a continuous variable (OR = 1.004, 95% CI; 1.000, 1.008, P = 0.057) and when analyzed based on quartiles. None of the individual components of MeS were significantly associated with 25(OH)D level. This study does not provide evidence to support the association between 25(OH)D level and MeS or its individual components. Prospective studies are necessary to better determine the roles of 25(OH)D levels in the etiology of MeS.
Adult ; Aged ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Jordan ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vitamin D

PURPOSE: Postmenopausal women are a unique population with high risk for the degeneration of muscle. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to accurately evaluate the effects of vitamin D on muscular strength in postmenopausal women.METHODS: A review was conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid Medline, CINAHL complete, and the Cochrane Library from inception through 19 March 2019. Included studies were selected by two independent reviewers. The meta-analysis were performed using Review Manager 5.3 software.RESULTS: A total of nine randomized controlled clinical trials were included in this review. Vitamin D interventions led to no changes in the upper limb muscle strength (mean difference –0.16, 95% CI: –1.09 to 0.77), lower body muscle strength (standard mean difference 0.08, 95% CI: –0.11 to 0.26), and back/hip muscle strength (standard mean difference 0.06, 95% CI: -0.05 to 0.17).CONCLUSION: Pooled results from eight studies indicated that supplementation of vitamin D did not increase muscle strength in postmenopausal women. Apparently, the present review suggests that supplementation of vitamin D alone had no didn't show any beneficial effects on muscle strength in postmenopausal women.
Female ; Humans ; Meta-Analysis as Topic ; Muscle Strength ; Postmenopause ; Upper Extremity ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

Calcium plays an important role in various physiological activities of the human body, and long-term insufficient or excessive intake of calcium will have a negative impact on the body's health. Existing data show that insufficient dietary calcium intake is closely related to bone health, but the non-bone effects are not clear. Increasing dietary calcium and supplementing calcium (with or without vitamin D) have a certain beneficial effect on the bone mineral density and its peak of adolescents and can delay the bone loss of the elderly, but it can't improve the height and bone mineral density of adults and fracture in the elderly. This article introduces the physiological functions of calcium, dietary sources, human intake, and methods for formulating recommended amounts, and summarizes the relationship between calcium and health effects. It also recommends that when formulating the reference intake of dietary calcium for Chinese residents, more consideration should be given to the data and information of the Chinese population, combined with the characteristics of Chinese residents' genetics, absorption and metabolism.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Density ; Calcium ; Calcium, Dietary/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Vitamin D

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological studies have reported that vitamin D deficiency is associated with inflammatory disease. Smoking is a well-known risk factor for inflammation. However, few studies have investigated the interactive effect of vitamin D deficiency and smoking on inflammation. This study aims to investigate the interaction of vitamin D and smoking with inflammatory markers in the urban elderly. METHODS: We used data from the Korean Elderly Environmental Panel Study, which began in August 2008 and ended in August 2010, and included 560 Koreans > or =60 years old living in Seoul. Data was collected via questionnaires that included items about smoking status at the first visit. Vitamin D levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and white blood cell (WBC) counts were repeatedly measured up to three times. RESULTS: The association of vitamin D and hs-CRP was significant after adjusting for known confounders (beta=-0.080, p=0.041). After separate analysis by smoking status, the association of vitamin D deficiency and hs-CRP in smokers was stronger than that in nonsmokers (smokers: beta=-0.375, p=0.013; non-smokers: beta=-0.060, p=0.150). Smoking status was an effect modifier that changed the association between vitamin D deficiency and hs-CRP (interaction estimate: beta=-0.254, p=0.032). Vitamin D was not significantly associated with WBC count (beta=0.003, p=0.805). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with hs-CRP in the urban elderly. Smoking status was an effect modifier of this association. Vitamin D deficiency was not significantly associated with WBC count.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2/blood ; Aged ; Biomarkers/blood ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Smoking ; Urban Population ; Vitamin D/*blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency/diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency and a high mean platelet volume (MPV) are related to cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with high MPV. METHODS: This study included 434 patients without chronic disease who were not taking vitamin D or calcium supplements. Vitamin D was measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay on the Architect-I2000 system (Abbott Diagnostics, USA), and MPV was measured on the Cell-Dyn Ruby analyzer (Abbott Diagnostics). Patients were divided into Groups 1 (138 [men/women, 46/92]), 2 (148 [men/women, 54/94]), and 3 (148 [men/women, 50/98]) according to vitamin D levels of <10 ng/mL, 10-20 ng/mL, and >20 ng/mL, respectively. RESULTS: The vitamin D level in Group 1 (7.7+/-1.9 ng/mL) was lower than that in Group 2 (15.1+/-1.6 ng/mL, P<0.001) and Group 3 (25.6+/-6.3 ng/mL, P<0.001). The MPV in Group 3 (7.5+/-1.0 fL) was lower than that in Group 1 (8.1+/-1.1 fL, P<0.001) and Group 2 (7.9+/-1.0 fL, P=0.009). Linear regression analysis showed that low levels of vitamin D (beta=-0.109, P=0.019) was independently associated with increased MPV. CONCLUSIONS: There was a strong association between a low vitamin D level and a high MPV; therefore, vitamin D deficiency may be associated with increased MPV.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Blood Platelets/*cytology ; Cell Size ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Luminescent Measurements ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vitamin D/*analysis ; Vitamin D Deficiency/metabolism/pathology ; Young Adult