In a world-first genetic study, researchers from the University of South Australia have established a direct link between low levels of vitamin D and high levels of inflammation.
It provides a critical biomarker to identify individuals at an increased risk or severity of chronic illnesses with an inflammatory component.
Key Findings
This study utilized the genetic data from 294,970 participants in the UK Biobank and employed Mendelian randomization to demonstrate the association between vitamin D and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, an indicator of inflammation.
Dr. Ang Zhou, the lead researcher, states that the study has found a one-way relationship between low levels of vitamin D and high levels of CRP, expressed as inflammation.
“Boosting vitamin D in people with deficiencies may reduce chronic inflammation, helping them avoid a number of related diseases,” he suggests.
Implications and Significance
The findings are published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
They not only reaffirm the necessity to avoid clinical vitamin D deficiency, but also hint at the potential of adequate vitamin D levels to mitigate complications arising from obesity and to reduce the risk or severity of chronic illnesses with an inflammatory component, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.
Senior investigator and Director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, Professor Elina Hyppönen, underscores the significance of these results, noting that they explain some controversies in reported associations with vitamin D.
“We have repeatedly seen evidence for health benefits for increasing vitamin D concentrations in individuals with very low levels, while for others, there appears to be little to no benefit,” Prof Hyppönen observes, suggesting that the study provides further evidence for the wide-ranging effects of hormonal vitamin D.
These findings offer an important contribution to precision health, potentially paving the way for personalized treatment strategies that target inflammation by managing vitamin D levels.
The research team believes that boosting vitamin D in individuals with deficiencies could help reduce chronic inflammation, thus helping prevent the onset of related diseases.
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The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
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