Vitamin D: A Review of Epidemiological Features View PDF

^*Vitorino Modesto Dos Santos
Department Of Internal Medicine, Armed Forces Hospital , Catholic University Of Brasília, Brazil

^*Corresponding Author:

Vitorino Modesto Dos Santos
Department Of Internal Medicine, Armed Forces Hospital , Catholic University Of Brasília, Brazil
Email:vitorinomodesto@gmail.com

Published on: 2014-09-11

Abstract

Vitamin D disorders have attracted considerable attention in recent decades. This substance plays an important role in human health, including calcium and phosphorous homeostasis, hormone activity, immune responses, protection against tumors, arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Knowledge about physiopathology of the vitamin D serum levels is essential for adequate interpretation of the laboratory data and the clinical investigation findings. This review aims primarily assessing the seasonality of serum vitamin D levels, attributed to the variable intensity of UVB radiation, as well as the general epidemiology of these levels in different geographic regions.

Keywords

Diet; Ethnicity; Latitude; UVB radiation; 25(OH)D; Vitamin

Introduction

The high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D has been a major concern of public health in developing countries, including the Latin America, and the Sub-Saharan, Middle East and North Africa. Worth of note, in Brazil as well as in Argentina population studies have addressed to the causative factors both amongst the elderly and young healthy people, focusing the role of diet and the sun exposure.