Background
Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread health problem, affecting up to 1 billion people worldwide.[1] It has gained increasing recognition in the developing world, including Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) where sunshine prevails all year round.[2–4] Previous studies in SSA have found widely varying prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, affecting 9-49% of the normal population in a region well endowed with round the year sunshine.[5–7] Cultural norms, religious practices, skin pigmentation, malnutrition, diet, co-morbidities like tuberculosis, and drugs may contribute to vitamin D deficiency in this setting.[2, 3]
Classically, vitamin D deficiency is known for its effects on bone, causing reduced mineralization, rickets and osteomalacia.[1, 3] However, many new roles of vitamin D have recently come to light, with more consequences attributed to its’ deficiency.[1] Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly associated with infectious diseases like tuberculosis, and non communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke.[1, 6, 8–11]
Studies in other settings have described higher burden of vitamin D deficiency among acute stroke patients than non- stroke individuals in the same environment.[11, 12] Suboptimal vitamin D has been associated with many modifiable stroke risk factors, including physical inactivity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and diabetes mellitus.[8–10, 13–15] Furthermore, longitudinal studies have further demonstrated that vitamin D is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease and stroke.[8, 12] The relationship of vitamin D deficiency to large vessel stroke and other atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases may be mediated by atherogenic inflammatory cytokines.[16]
Among stroke pat...
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...but the new Roche vitamin D total assay that we used has demonstrated strong correlation with HPLC/MS and established radioimmunoassay techniques.[27] Due to our study design, we are unable to show a temporal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and stroke events. However, studies elsewhere have frequently found that vitamin D is associated with stroke, and may indeed predict stroke.[12] Ongoing studies elsewhere are investigating the role of vitamin D replacement on non communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and cancer.[18]
Conclusions
Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent among 14.8% of stroke admitted patients. Future studies evaluating the role of vitamin D deficiency among stroke and other cardiovascular patients in our setting are warranted, especially with increased longevity and indoor lifestyle in our population.
Ischemic Stroke is caused due to a blood clot in an area of the brain, leading to loss of neural function if last for more than 24 hours. In the United States, ischemic stroke affects 2.7% of men and 2.5% of women of age range 18 years and older. In addition, it has reported that annually about 610,000 and 185,000 of new strokes and recurrent strokes cases occur in US1. Moreover, it has reported that patients who have suffered from a stroke have more chances of recurrent stroke, Myocardial infarction, and death from vascular causes2. One of the risk factor of ischemic stroke is formation of plaque in the blood vessels causing blood clot3. Several randomized trials have also reported that antiplatelet medications are efficient in preventing recurrences of stroke in patients who had an incident of ischemic stroke. Antiplatelet medications for preventing recurrences of stroke are aspirin, combination of aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole, and clopidogrel alone4. It ha...
Globally the leading reason for mortality and morbidity rate is stroke. Nearly twenty million individuals can suffer from stroke annually and around five million individuals won't survive [1]. The developing countries account for a median of 85% of worldwide deaths from stroke [2]. Stroke ends up in practical impairments with a median rate of two hundredth survivors who need institutional care once an amount of three months and 15%-30% are going to be disabled for good [3].
In 2011, the University Of Minnesota took women who take vitamins daily and studied them(Offit, Paul., 2013). The result was the same in that there was no supporting evidence that favors Pauling’s claims and statements. In conclusion, the general public believed the words of a man who had no specific evidence to support his own claims over researches done by trusted establishments who had evidence towards their own claims against Linus Pauling. Vitamin D is essential in many aspects especially during growth periods such as adolescents and infancy as indicated by Winston Koo and Nitin Walyat who are the respective authors of “Vitamin D and Skeletal Growth and Development”. Vitamin D is essential for the body as it helps development organ cells; without the development of organ cells, the body cannot fight against harsh diseases and it will eventually cause severe diseases which can lead to delayed growth rate(Koo, Winston ., 2013, p.188).. Children who drink breast milk are more prone to vitamin D deficiency because breast milk does not contain as many vitamins as mineral (Koo,
... J. (2009). Heart disease and stroke statistics--2010 updated: a report from the American Heart Association. Journal of the American Heart Association. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192667
Since ancient times vitamin D has been the predominant cause of bone deficiencies.1 However, it was not in till the seventeenth century when both Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson made the first scientific description of a vitamin D deficiency.2 During the mid-seventeenth century there was an increase amount of children that were diagnosed with the bone disease called rickets.2 The cause of the rickets was determined to be associated to the lack of sunlight. A German researcher Kurt Huldschinsky came to the conclusion that when infants were exposed to ultraviolet light rays they became cured of rickets2. He stated that a substance in the skin was the potential source of the cure.2 In 1922, American scientist Elmer McCollum proved that when cod liver oil was heated; the beneficial effects of vitamin A in the oil were reduced.2 However, the oil remained effective in curing rickets leading McCollum to reason that a nutrient different from vitamin A was present in the oil. As a result, he named this nutrient vitamin D, which became the fourth vitamin to be discovered and named.2 Additionally, shortly after 1918, vitamin D was also discovered by an accidental experiment that included a group of scientists curing dogs affected with rickets by feeding cod liver oil to them.1
A number of studies were unable to approve the role of vitamin D on atherosclerosis, CAD or IHD. The Multi-Ethnic study of Atherosclerosis after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, vitamin D status did not significantly affect arterial stiffness but PTH>65 pg/ml was associated with arterial stiffness. This association was not significant after adjustment for blood pressure.
Stroke is a serious medical condition that affects people of all ages specifically older adults. People suffer from a stroke when there is decreased blood flow to the brain. Blood supply decreases due to a blockage or a rupture of a blood vessel which then leads to brain tissues dying. The two types of stroke are ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot blocking the artery that brings oxygenated blood to the brain. On the other hand, a hemorrhagic stroke is when an artery in the brain leaks or ruptures (“About Stroke,” 2013). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of adult disability” (“About Stroke,” 2013). Stroke causes a number of disabilities and also leads to decreased mobility in over half of the victims that are 65 and older. The CDC lists several risk factors of stroke such as heredity, age, gender and ethnicity as well as medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and excessive weight gain that in...
A study in the United Kingdom showed that the age-specific prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency is about 5% in adults age 65-74 and 10% in adults age ≥75. Another research group reported a 24% prevalence in adults age 75-80. Studies in France show that 60%-70% of cases of vitamin B12 deficiency were related to gastric atrophy, while pernicious anemia was responsible for 15%-20% of cases.
Rickets is a bone disease that occurs in children as a result of a Vitamin D deficiency. This disease, which was nearly eradicated in the early 20th century, has become a re-emerging health concern for various countries in the past ten years. Certain factors such as poor nutrition as a result of low socioeconomic status or high concentrations of melanin in the skin can increase the chances of getting rickets. Sufficient Vitamin D levels are crucial to the functioning of the body, especially in the absorption of calcium. This essay will examine the causes, symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of rickets; as well as the importance of Vitamin D and calcium in the prevention and treatment of this disease.
As you recommend that students should take a multivitamin everyday in order to be healthy, I disagree. I believe that taking a multivitamin everyday is not necessary because it really doesn't make much of a difference.
The animals that stroke primarily affects are humans. This is likely caused by risk factors that humans attain, such as cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, a poor diet, stroke occurring in ancestors, and physical activity/obesity. Stroke has is also starting to become recognized in cats, dogs, and rabbits. According to the World Health Organization, 15 million people suffer from a stroke worldwide every year. Of the people diagnosed, 5 million die and 5 million are permanently disabled. In the United States, 795,000 suffer from stroke annually. 85 percent of the diagnosed strokes are ischemic and 15 percent of them are hemorrhagic As for the humans diagnosed, three fourths of the people that suffer from a stroke are elderly (over the age of 65). This is caused by raising cholesterol levels and the narrowing of arteries as someone ages. Ethnicity, as well as age can also affect a person’s risk to fall victim to a stroke. Africans have a much higher risk of death from a stroke than Caucasians do. This is partly because blacks have greater risks of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Research suggests Africans may carry a gene that makes them more salt sensitive, inevitably increasing the risk of high blood pressure. Fortunately, research is still being done to prevent stroke. Rats and mice are primary animal subjects for studying this deadly
Vitamin D is a necessary component for calcium absorption to prevent boss loss. Nutritionally our body can create vitamin D by sun exposure however many factors can prevent our bodies to create vitamin D such as using sunblock or not getting enough sun exposer from daily routine. Vitamin D can be found in many foods that we such as milk including almond milk, eggs yolks, saltwater fish, and liver. Other vitamins that can help prevent bone loss are vitamin A and C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps reduce oxidative stress which can have a negative effect on the cells in the body. This helps protect against inflammation which takes away calcium from the bones. Vitamin C can be found in many foods such as papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries, pineapples, oranges and kiwifruit and fruit juices have supplement vitamins. Vitamin A is important for bone growth, vision, cell division and cell differentiation. There are two different forms of vitamin A are retinol and beta-carotene. Retinol can be found in meat, poultry, fish and dairy products while beta-carotene can be found in fruits, vegetables and
Vitamin D plays an integral role in multiple systems in the human body, from its function in Calcium and Phosphorus metabolism, to modulation of the immune and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Grober et al. 2013). Unfortunately, factors such as diet, geographic position, and skin pigmentation are contributing to an increase of prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency around the world, consequently leading to a higher rate of associated illnesses. Namely, Cardiovascular Diseases such as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Hypertensive Vascular Disease, and Myocardial Infarction have been shown to be more common in people with lower levels of Vitamin D in their system (Lavie, Lee & Milani 2011).
Vitamin D is one I take daily because I don’t get enough sun. I also take MSM, vitamin C, and Coenzyme q10.
Doheney, Kathleen. “Low Vitamin D Linked to Poor Diabetes Control.” webmd.com. WebMD, 21 July 2010. Web. 23 November 2011.