Rediscovering Vitamin D

Abstract

Over the past 2 years there has been a radical change in standard clinical practice with respect to vitamin D. As a result of a growing body of knowledge physicians are assessing the vitamin D nutritional status of their patients and prescribing aggressive repletion regimens of a vitamin D supplement. The present paper summarizes some basic information about this essential nutrient and reviews some of the more recent data implicating vitamin D deficiency in disease etiology with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease and cancer. Finally a rational approach to the dosing of vitamin D in different patient populations is provided.

Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency; calcidiol; calcitriol; disease prevention; autoimmune; cardiovascular; cancer; mycobacterial infection; cathelicidin

(Published: 8 November 2010)

Citation: Libyan J Med 2010, 5: 5648 - DOI: 10.3402/ljm.v5i0.5648