Nearly 80 million Americans no longer would need to take vitamin D supplements under new Institute of Medicine guidelines, according to a study.
Almost all people get sufficient vitamin D when their blood levels are at or above 20 nanograms per milliliter, according to the new guidelines. The previous guidelines stated people should have vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml.
Holly Kramer, MD, MPH, of the Loyola University, Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, and colleagues examined data from 15,099 non-institutionalized adults who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. The sample included 1,097 adults with chronic kidney disease, which has been linked to low vitamin D levels.
In the survey population, 70.5% of adults with healthy kidneys had vitamin D blood levels that would be considered insufficient under the older guidelines. But under the newer IOM guidelines, only 30.3% of these adults had insufficient vitamin D levels.
Among adults with chronic kidney disease, 76.5% had insufficient vitamin D under the older guidelines, while only 35.4% had insufficient levels under the IOM guidelines.
Because NHANES III is a representative sample, the researchers were able to extrapolate results to the general population. Kramer and colleagues estimated that a total of 78.7 million adults who have been considered to have insufficient vitamin D levels under the older guidelines would have sufficient levels under the IOM guidelines. "The new guidelines have an impact on a large proportion of the population," Kramer said.
The IOM guidelines (www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D/Report-Brief.aspx?page=2) are based on nearly 1,000 published studies and testimony from scientists and other experts.
The IOM committee found that vitamin D is essential to avoid poor bone health, such as rickets. But there have been conflicting and mixed results in studies on whether vitamin D can also protect against cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and diabetes, the committee reported. Moreover, the committee stated, excessive vitamin D can damage the kidneys and heart.
The Endocrine Society continues to endorse the older guidelines. Kramer said people who are confused about how much vitamin D they need should consult their doctors.
The findings were part of a study appeared Oct. 24 in the online journal PLoS One and is available at www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0047458.
Almost all people get sufficient vitamin D when their blood levels are at or above 20 nanograms per milliliter, according to the new guidelines. The previous guidelines stated people should have vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml.
Holly Kramer, MD, MPH, of the Loyola University, Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, and colleagues examined data from 15,099 non-institutionalized adults who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. The sample included 1,097 adults with chronic kidney disease, which has been linked to low vitamin D levels.
In the survey population, 70.5% of adults with healthy kidneys had vitamin D blood levels that would be considered insufficient under the older guidelines. But under the newer IOM guidelines, only 30.3% of these adults had insufficient vitamin D levels.
Among adults with chronic kidney disease, 76.5% had insufficient vitamin D under the older guidelines, while only 35.4% had insufficient levels under the IOM guidelines.
Because NHANES III is a representative sample, the researchers were able to extrapolate results to the general population. Kramer and colleagues estimated that a total of 78.7 million adults who have been considered to have insufficient vitamin D levels under the older guidelines would have sufficient levels under the IOM guidelines. "The new guidelines have an impact on a large proportion of the population," Kramer said.
The IOM guidelines (www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D/Report-Brief.aspx?page=2) are based on nearly 1,000 published studies and testimony from scientists and other experts.
The IOM committee found that vitamin D is essential to avoid poor bone health, such as rickets. But there have been conflicting and mixed results in studies on whether vitamin D can also protect against cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and diabetes, the committee reported. Moreover, the committee stated, excessive vitamin D can damage the kidneys and heart.
The Endocrine Society continues to endorse the older guidelines. Kramer said people who are confused about how much vitamin D they need should consult their doctors.
The findings were part of a study appeared Oct. 24 in the online journal PLoS One and is available at www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0047458.
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