Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, MD spoke with columnist, Katie Kalvaitis of Endocrine Today in regards to new research and recent controversies that have called into question the benefits of Vitamin D supplementation.
The recent VITAL trial, conducted with 25,871 adults, including 5,106 black participants, was the largest and longest randomized trial of daily high-dose vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Key findings of the VITAL trial were that Vitamin D supplementation did not reduce the risk of cancer or the risk of major cardiovascular events, but did appear to reduce risk of cancer-related death.
In regards to the real benefit of vitamin D, the study’s principal investigator, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, FACE stated, “The key message here is that the results of the VITAL trial are complex. There is no simple summary and no one-size-fits-all recommendation based on the results of the VITAL trial.”
According to Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, MD, “In VITAL, the baseline population had largely normal vitamin D levels, and 40% were taking statins at baseline.”
“It was not surprising that adding vitamin D supplementation did not decrease CVD,” Bernal-Mizrachi told Endocrine Today. “Perhaps future results from high-risk populations, such as people with diabetes with vitamin D deficiency, could help us to prove whether vitamin D is effective against CVD in these more specific groups and ultimately identify evidence-based cutoff points.”
For more on the discussion see Endocrine Today: New research, recent controversies call vitamin D benefits into question
Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, MD is the Philip E. and Carolyn E. Cryer Professor of Medicine and Chief of Endocrinology at St. Louis VA Medical System