old Vitamin D  normal values .. I think they were revised.  FYI.

Sept 19 2007.

A good and comprehensive Vitamin D article.

Original article 

Low vitamin-D levels associated with higher prevalence of peripheral artery disease

April 18, 2008

Michael O'Riordan

New York, NY - New data presented this week have shown that low serum vitamin-D levels are associated with a higher prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) [1]. The association was observed in a large, nationally representative sample and was present even after adjustment for multiple cardiovascular risk factors, report investigators.

... more at.

http://www.theheart.org/article/858517.do

Certainly if you have bad PAD, it is hard to get outside to walk even ... I wonder what confounders they actually factored in.

I'd like to read this article http://ard.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/67/4/530 mainly because google shows they appear to quote the paper on vitamin d i wrote

But reading the abstract I think the study is flawed ... because we know that intake is not a signficant percentage of the vitamin D inputs. 

seems like it

Relationships between vitamin D intake and incident SLE and RA were examined in age-adjusted and Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for confounders. Results were pooled using meta-analysis random effects models.

Vitamin D helps kidney patients live longer

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssHealthcareNews/idUSN0727957120080507

 CHICAGO, May 7 (Reuters) - Kidney disease patients who took a prescription form of Vitamin D were 26 percent less likely to die over a two-year span than those not taking the vitamin, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

This is probably more relevant as in the above study, they prescribed calcitriol when they should probably have given both calcitriol and cholecalciferol.

http://www.renalandurologynews.com/How-to-Manage-Vitamin-D-Deficiency/article/58154/

It is likely that exogenously administered calcitriol does not raise tissue levels to the level achieved by local synthesis without causing toxicity.

Vitamin D deficiency linked to poorer *** cancer outcomes: study

[snip] 

The study involved 512 women, aged 35 to 69, who were diagnosed with *** cancer between 1989 and 1996, then had their health followed until 2007, on average for almost 12 years.

"What we found was that 37.5 per cent of our patients were vitamin D deficient and 38.5 per cent were insufficient," said Goodwin, noting that sufficiency was based on levels considered optimal for good bone health.

"Only 24 per cent had sufficient levels of vitamin D in their blood."

Having too little vitamin D was associated with a younger age, obesity and a lower intake of grains and cereals, which in Canada are fortified with the nutrient.

Blood levels were measured in both summer and winter months, but little difference in levels was found.

kinda surprising.

Vitamin D status at diagnosis was linked to a greater risk of seeing cancer recurrence or spread, with 10-year metastasis-free survival at 69 per cent for women who were deficient versus 83 per cent for those with optimal vitamin D.

There was also a huge contrast in overall 10-year survival between the two groups: 74 per cent among those with too little of the vitamin compared to 85 per cent with enough.

Goodwin said it appeared that having a vitamin D level of 80 to 120 nanomoles per litre of blood is ideal.

more at - http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jdB29IseRj3rw2d7eD5PyCtmeNhA

Lack of vitamin D may cause juvenile diabetes

Updated Thu. Jun. 5 2008 8:11 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Children who live in countries at higher latitudes, such as Canada, where there is less sunlight for much of the year, are far more likely to develop juvenile diabetes than kids who live at or near the equator, new research says.

The findings suggest that a lack of vitamin D, which the body produces when ultraviolet light hits the skin, has a role in the development of the disease. Vitamin D can also be obtained from supplements and from some foods.

 "We see this very characteristic signature that makes it unmistakeable that vitamin D deficiency is the cause of childhood type 1 diabetes," said study author Dr. Cedric F. Garland, professor of family and preventive medicine at University of California, San Diego.

Garland believes that vitamin D protects the cells that produce insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce insulin, or cannot effectively use the insulin it creates.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080605/vitaminD_diabetes_080605/20080605?hub=CTVNewsAt11

Suggested Dose:

The researchers suggested that children take a vitamin supplement of 1,000 international units (IU) per day (of vitamin D3), as well as get five to 10 minutes of sun exposure a day, to prevent the development of the disease.

More D news.

Vitamin D during pregnancy may impact baby's teeth

Women who have low vitamin D levels during pregnancy are more likely to have babies who develop tooth enamel problems, which can lead to tooth decay, new Canadian research says.

Researchers from the University of Manitoba examined data from 135 babies between the ages of seven and 16 months. They found that 21.6 per cent of them had tooth enamel defects and 33.6 per cent had early childhood tooth decay.

Mothers of children with tooth decay had significantly lower vitamin D levels than mothers of children with healthy teeth.

.... more at the above URL.

Graham:

Since this was a prospective study, I wonder why they didn't do the obvious and check baby's levels.

Maybe because the mom's would be less likely to consent if their baby needed blood drawn ?

For today's newborn testing I think they can get it all from the heel !

Not sure about getting a D level from the heel.