vitamin D tagged posts

Demyelination by MS. The CD68 colored tissue shows several macrophages in the area of the lesion. Original scale 1:100. Credit: Marvin 101/Wikipedia

Taking a high dose of vitamin D3 is safe for people with multiple sclerosis and may help regulate the body’s hyperactive immune response, according to a pilot study published by Johns Hopkins physicians. “These results are exciting, as vitamin D has the potential to be an inexpensive, safe and convenient treatment for people with MS,” says study author Peter Calabresi, M.D. Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are tied to an increased risk of developing MS. People who have MS and low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have greater disability and more disease activity.

For the study, 40 people with relapsing-remitting MS received either 10,...

>>according to the findings of a preliminary study presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Edinburgh. Vitamin D, which is both a vitamin and a hormone, helps control levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood and is essential for the formation of bones and teeth. Sources of Vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, but it can be difficult to get enough through diet alone. Most people generate vitamin D by exposing their skin to UVB rays in sunlight.

Previous studies suggest that vitamin D can block the action of enzyme 11-βHSD1, which is needed to make cortisol. High levels of cortisol may raise blood pressure by restricting arteries, narrowing blood vessels and stimulating the kidneys to retain water...

A/Prof Amy Millen’ team found women who are deficient in vitamin D and have a specific high-risk genotype are 6.7X more likely to develop AMD than women with sufficient vitamin D status and no high risk genotype.
“This is not a study that can, alone, prove a causal association, but it does suggest that if you’re at high genetic risk for AMD, having a sufficient vitamin D status might help reduce your risk.”

Macular degeneration is characterized by the deterioration of the macula, a small part of the central retina where the eye’s photoreceptors (rods and cones) are most highly concentrated...

Vitamin D pathway. In blue are the genes containing, or in proximity to, SNPs that were genome-wide significant for 25OHD level in SUNLIGHT (n = 33,996). The p-values for the association with 25OHD level were 1.9 × 10−109 for GC, 2.1 × 10−27 for DHCR7, 3.3 × 10−20 for CYP2R1, and 6.0 × 10−10 for CYP24A1. Note that each gene plays an independent role in modulating the level of 25OHD. Kidney and liver images credit: https://openclipart.org/. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001866.g002

Genetic findings support observational evidence that lower vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis...