Epidemiologic association or conflicting studies suggesting potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation
| CONDITION | BEST EVIDENCE | LEVEL OF EVIDENCE | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic unexplained pain | Straube et al,38 2009 | Meta-analysis | Insufficient epidemiologic or RCT evidence for link between pain and insufficiency or deficiency |
| MS | Munger et al,27 2006 | Prospective nested case-control | Solid association between high 25(OH)D and low risk of MS; no available dosing studies |
| Deterioration of cognition | Annweiler et al,39 2009 | Systematic review | No clear association between cognitive function and 25(OH)D, but considerable heterogeneity; intervention studies inconsistent |
| Some infectious diseases | Yamshchikov et al,40 2009 | Systematic review | Strongest evidence for tuberculosis, influenza, and viral upper respiratory tract illness; considerable heterogeneity |
| CVD | Pittas et al,41 2010 Wang et al,42 2010 | Systematic reviews | Possible association of 25(OH)D with hypertension and CVD (not diabetes41); prospective dosing trials suggest benefit at moderate to high doses—more studies needed |
| Type 2 diabetes | Pittas et al,41 2010 | Systematic review | Insufficient evidence for association of 25(OH)D levels with incident diabetes; no good evidence on dosing studies benefiting glycemic control |
| Periodontal disease | Dietrich et al,43 2004 | Cross sectional | Low 25(OH)D levels might be associated with periodontal disease independent of effects on bone mineral density |
| Breast cancer | Garland et al,44 2007 | Pooled analysis of longitudinal studies | Estimated 50% reduction in breast cancer incidence with use of 2000 IU vitamin D daily; no available dosing studies |
| Prostate cancer | Yin et al,45 2009 | Meta-analysis of longitudinal studies | Serum 25(OH)D not found to be associated with incident prostate cancer |
25(OH)D—25-hydroxyvitamin D, CVD—cardiovascular disease, MS—multiple sclerosis, RCT—randomized controlled trial.