Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to premature death

It is a vitamin we get from the sun and despite its ample supply, one in three Australian adults still suffers from mild, moderate or severe vitamin D deficiency
.

Now, a new study from the University of South Australia provides strong evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to premature death, which has prompted people to adhere to healthy guidelines
for vitamin D levels.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that the more severe the vitamin D deficiency, the greater
the risk of death.

Vitamin D is an important nutrient that helps keep the body healthy and keeps our bones and muscles strong and healthy
.

Lead author Josh Sutherland, a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California, said that while vitamin D has been linked to mortality, establishing causality has been challenging
.

"Although severe vitamin D deficiency is rarer in Australia than elsewhere in the world, it still affects those with fragile health, older people, and those
who do not get enough vitamin D from healthy sun exposure and dietary sources," Sutherland said.

"Our study provides strong evidence for the link between low vitamin D levels and mortality, and this is the first study
to include respiratory disease-related mortality as an outcome.
"

"We used a new genetic approach to explore and confirm the nonlinear relationships we see in the observational environment, and through this approach, we were able to provide strong evidence
for the link between low vitamin D levels and premature death.
"

"Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to mortality, but because clinical trials often fail to recruit people with low vitamin D levels — or are prohibited from including participants with vitamin D deficiency — establishing causality is a challenge
.
"

The Mendelian randomisation study evaluated 307,601 records
from the UK Biobank.
Vitamin D levels were below <25 nmol/L and the average concentration was 45.
2 nmol/L
.
During a follow-up period of up to 14 years, the researchers found that the risk of death decreased significantly as vitamin D concentrations increased, with the effect being most pronounced
in people with severe vitamin D deficiency.

Professor Elina Hyppnen, senior researcher and director of UniSA's Australian Centre for Precision Health, said more research was needed to establish effective public health strategies to help meet national guidelines and reduce the risk of
premature death associated with low vitamin D levels.

"The key message here is simple – the key is prevention
.
It is not enough to consider vitamin D deficiency in situations where life challenges are already being faced, and early action may lead to completely different outcomes," Professor Hyppnen said
.

"It is important
to continue public health efforts to ensure that vulnerable groups and older people maintain adequate vitamin D levels throughout the year.
"

Journal Reference:

1. Joshua P.
   Sutherland, Ang Zhou, Elina Hypp&ouml; nen.
   Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Mortality Risk in the UK Biobank.
   Annals of Internal Medicine, 2022; DOI: 10.
   7326/M21-3324