Vitamin D Newsletter - February 5, 2013 View this email in your browser Supporters of the Vitamin D Council Does vitamin D help with knee pain and cartilage loss in osteoarthritis?
January 30, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease, is a mechanical abnormality involving degradation of joints, including cartilage and bone. The joints just wear out from a lifetime of use. Common symptoms include joint pain, tenderness and stiffness.
Osteoarthritis affects nearly 27 million people in the United States, accounting for 25% of visits to primary care physicians. It is estimated that 80% of the population have radiographic evidence of OA by age 65.
Does vitamin D help OA? Dr. Timothy McAlindon and colleagues at Tufts Medical Center wanted to know, and recently conducted a study to find out. They found that vitamin D does not help.
McAlindon T, LaValley M, Schneider E, Nuite M, Lee JY, Price LL, Lo G, Dawson-Hughes B. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on progression of knee pain and cartilage volume loss in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2013 Jan 9;309(2):155-62.
They randomized 146 participants to a vitamin D group or a placebo group. Sixty-four patients finished the study taking vitamin D and 60 finished it on placebo. For the vitamin D arm, participants took at least 2000 IU/day, and researchers increased the dose to ensure that levels were at least 36 ng/mL. Twenty-three participants received vitamin D dose escalations as follows: Continue reading → (no membership required)
Vitamin D deficiency linked to length of stay in ICU
January 31, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers in Sydney, Australia, recently conducted a study on ICU patients and their vitamin D levels. The authors found that vitamin D deficiency was associated with longer hospital stays. Continue reading → (membership required) What are vitamin D levels in sunny southern California?
February 2, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Dr Elaine Kaptein and colleagues of the University of Southern California Medical Center recently studied 3,276 inner city patients from LA. Living in southern California should mean levels are sufficient, right? Continue reading → (membership required) Is vitamin D involved with balance?
February 1, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers at University of Angers in France recently conducted a unique study. They wanted to find out if vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml were associated with balance. Read on to learn what the researchers found. Continue reading → (no membership required)
Surprisingly low vitamin D in rural Argentinean children
February 1, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers in Buenos Aires recently measured vitamin D levels in Koya Indian schoolchildren living at high altitude in Argentina. Continue reading → (membership required)
Hashimoto's thyroiditis: Does D deficiency play a role?
February 3, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers in Turkey, recently conducted a cross-sectional study of 540 subjects, seeing if vitamin D levels are connected to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Continue reading → (no membership required) Dear Dr Cannell: Vitamin D ointment
February 4, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
A VDC member is concerned that her newly prescribed activated vitamin D ointment will raise her vitamin D and calcium levels too high. Continue reading → (no membership required)
Stats Canada Data: Canadians' vitamin D levels declining
February 1, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
The Vitamin D Society wants to make Canadians aware of the recently published Statistics Canada study. The study reports that Canadians vitamin D blood levels are declining dramatically. Continue reading → Low vitamin D tied to poor treatment response in people with HIV, Hep C
January 30, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
Recent research says, people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV are less likely to respond to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PEG/RBV) – a treatment for HCV – if they have low vitamin D levels. Continue reading → Vitamin D and respiratory Infections webinar
Feburary 5, 2013
Get ready for the fourth Grassroots health webinar!
Today at 10am PST Dr Carlos Camargo, MD, Dr PH, will be discussing the question: "What vitamin D level prevents upper respiratory infections?"
Register here for today's webinar! Have a vitamin D question? You can submit your questions for Dr Camargo when you register.
RSS Feed