Does vitamin D deficiency contribute to increased rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes among African Americans?

Authors: HARRIS, SUSAN S. - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2011
Publication Date: 5/1/2011
Citation: Harris, S. 2011. Does vitamin D deficiency contribute to increased rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes among African Americans?. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 93(5):1175S-1178.

Interpretive Summary: African Americans have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and some forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with European Americans. They also have much higher rates of vitamin D deficiency. There is emerging evidence that vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and CVD, but the extent to which racial disparities in disease rates are explained by racial differences in vitamin D status is uncertain. Despite a large number of observational studies and a limited number of clinical trials that have examined 25(OH)D as a potential determinant of CVD and DM or its precursors, it remains uncertain whether improving vitamin D status would reduce the risk for these conditions in the general U.S. population or in African Americans specifically. However, if the associations reported from the observational studies are of the estimated magnitudes and causal, vitamin D supplementation could potentially have a strong preventive effect on some of these conditions and could reduce race-related disparities in their prevalence. Given the low 25(OH)D levels of many if not most African Americans, and the low risk associated with vitamin D supplementation, it is important to obtain more definitive answers to these questions.

Technical Abstract: African Americans have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and some forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with European Americans. They also have much higher rates of vitamin D deficiency. There is emerging evidence that vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and CVD, but the extent to which racial disparities in disease rates are explained by racial differences in vitamin D status is uncertain. Despite a large number of observational studies and a limited number of clinical trials that have examined 25(OH)D as a potential determinant of CVD and DM or its precursors, it remains uncertain whether improving vitamin D status would reduce the risk for these conditions in the general U.S. population or in African Americans specifically. However, if the associations reported from the observational studies are of the estimated magnitudes and causal, vitamin D supplementation could potentially have a strong preventive effect on some of these conditions and could reduce race-related disparities in their prevalence. Given the low 25(OH)D levels of many if not most African Americans, and the low risk associated with vitamin D supplementation, it is important to obtain more definitive answers to these questions.