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Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in school children.

Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, Kurihara M, Wada Y, Ida H. Division of Molecular Epidemiology Jikei University School of Medicine Minato-ku Tokyo Japan.

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, no rigorously designed clinical trials have evaluated the relation between vitamin D and physician-diagnosed seasonal influenza. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. DESIGN: From December 2008 through March 2009, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing vitamin D(3) supplements (1200 IU/d) with placebo in schoolchildren. The primary outcome was the incidence of influenza A, diagnosed with influenza antigen testing with a nasopharyngeal swab specimen. RESULTS: Influenza A occurred in 18 of 167 (10.8%) children in the vitamin D(3) group compared with 31 of 167 (18.6%) children in the placebo group [relative risk (RR), 0.58; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.99; P = 0.04]. The reduction in influenza A was more prominent in children who had not been taking other vitamin D supplements (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.79; P = 0.006) and who started nursery school after age 3 y (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.78; P = 0.005). In children with a previous diagnosis of asthma, asthma attacks as a secondary outcome occurred in 2 children receiving vitamin D(3) compared with 12 children receiving placebo (RR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.73; P = 0.006).

CONCLUSION: This study suggests that vitamin D(3) supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren.

This trial was registered at https://center.umin.ac.jp as UMIN000001373. PMID: 20219962

Chronic Kidney Disease - The virtues of vitamin D-but how much is too much?

Pediatric Nephrology 2010 April - Shroff R, Knott C, Rees L.Department of Nephrology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, NHS Trust, Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JH, UK,.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in healthy adults and children as well as in the chronic kidney diseasepopulation. What was once a disease of malnourished children in the developing world has re-emerged and reached pandemic proportions. In parallel with this development, there is a growing awareness that vitamin D is not simply a 'calcaemic hormone' but plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, infectious and auto-immune conditions, renoprotection, glycaemic control and prevention of some common cancers. Most tissues in the body have a vitamin D receptor and the enzymatic machinery to convert 'nutritional' 25-hydroxyvitamin D to the active form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; it is estimated that 3% of the human genome is regulated by the vitamin D endocrine system. Although there are few well-conducted studies on the benefits of vitamin D therapy, an exuberant use of vitamin D is now seen in the general population and at all stages of chronic kidney disease. There is emerging evidence that vitamin D may in fact have a therapeutic window, and at least from the effects on the cardiovascular system, more is not necessarily better. In this review, we discuss the role of nutritional vitamin D (ergocalciferol or cholecalciferol) supplementation in chronic kidney disease patients, interpreting the clinical studies in the light of the vitamin D metabolic pathway and its pluripotent effects. While nutritional vitamin D compounds clearly have numerous beneficial effects, randomised controlled studies are required to determine the effectiveness and optimal dose at different stages of chronic kidney disease, its concurrent use with activated vitamin D compounds and its safety profile. PMID: 20393752

The effects of a 30-month (Vitamin D3, Calcium) dietary intervention on bone mineral density: The Postmenopausal Health Study.

British Journal of Nutrition. 2010 April - Moschonis G, Katsaroli I, Lyritis GP, Manios Y.Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Low dietary calcium intake and vitamin D insufficiency have been implicated as part of the aetiology leading to osteoporosis. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a 30-month dietary intervention that combined supplementation of dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D3 and lifestyle and nutrition counselling sessions on bone mineral density (BMD) of postmenopausal women. Sixty-six postmenopausal women (aged 55-65 years) were randomised into a dietary group (DG; n 35), receiving daily and for the first 12 months 1200 mg calcium and 7.5 mug vitamin D3, while for the next 18 months of intervention 1200 mg calcium and 22.5 mug vitamin D3 through fortified dairy products, and a control group (CG; n 31) receiving neither counselling nor dairy products. The DG was found to have more favourable changes in arms (P < 0.001), total spine (P = 0.001) and total body BMD (P < 0.001) compared with the CG. Furthermore, a significant increase was observed for the DG in lumbar spine BMD (0.056; 95 % CI 0.009, 0.103), which was not found to differentiate significantly compared with the change observed in the CG (P = 0.075). In conclusion, the present study showed that intakes of vitamin D of about 22.5 mug/d and of calcium close to the recommended level of 1200 mg from fortified dairy foods for 30 months, with compliance ensured by lifestyle and nutrition counselling sessions, can induce favourable changes in arms, total spine and total body BMD of postmenopausal women. PMID: 20370938

Mesothelioma Results From Exposure To Asbestos

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• Shipyards
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• Power plants
• Metal works

Those At Risk

Specific occupations present common hazards by breathing dust from insulation, plastics, and ceiling tiles:

• Veterans
• Firefighters
• Metal workers
• Construction workers

Asbestos.com offers more information about asbestos symptoms, treatments, including resources for support groups, doctor help, veteran's assistance and legal justice.