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Context Questions regarding the superiority of free and bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in predicting health outcomes remain unresolved. Objective This study investigates the impact of vitamin D variables—total, bioavailable, or free 25(OH)D—on indices of bone and mineral metabolism, at baseline and in response to 2 vitamin D doses. Design Our objectives are implemented as exploratory analyses on data collected in a 1-year, double-blind, randomized controlled trial completed in July 2014. Setting Participants were recruited from 3 major hospitals in an ambulatory setting. Participants Participants were >65 years of age, overweight, and had a baseline serum 25(OH)D between 10 and 30 ng/mL. A total of 221 participants completed the study. Intervention Subjects were randomized to receive calcium and oral vitamin D3 (600 IU/day or 3750 IU/day) supplementation. Results Participants who received the higher vitamin D dose had levels that were 1.3- to 1.4-fold higher than those taking the lower dose, for all variables (P value < 0.001). Serum values of bioavailable and free 25(OH)D were associated with total 25(OH)D, with r values of 0.942 and 0.943, respectively (P value < 0.001). Parathyroid hormone (PTH) was negatively associated with all vitamin D variables, with correlation coefficients ranging from −0.22 to −0.25, while calcium and bone turnover markers (carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks and osteocalcin) did not. Only total 25(OH)D had a positive relationship with % change bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck at 12 months, while only free and bioavailable 25(OH) had a positive relationship with % change total body BMD at 12 months. Conclusion Calculated free and bioavailable 25(OH)D do not appear to be superior to total 25(OH)D in predicting indices of bone health in an elderly population.

A healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet play a paramount role in promoting and maintaining homeostatic functions and preventing an array of chronic and debilitating diseases. Based upon observational and epidemiological investigations, it is clear that nutritional factors and dietary habits play a significant role in gynecological disease development, including uterine leiomyoma, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and gynecological malignancies. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables, Mediterranean diets, green tea, vitamin D, and plant-derived natural compounds may have a long-term positive impact on gynecological diseases, while fats, red meat, alcohol, and coffee may contribute to their development. Data regarding the association between dietary habits and gynecological disorders are, at times, conflicting, with potential confounding factors, including food pollutants, reduced physical activity, ethnic background, and environmental factors limiting overall conclusions. This review provides a synopsis of the current clinical data and biological basis of the association between available dietary and nutritional data, along with their impact on the biology and pathophysiology of different gynecological disorders, as well as an outlook on future directions that will guide further investigational research.

Fibroids are benign tumors caused by proliferation of myometrial smooth muscle cells in the uterus that can lead to symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, urinary retention, and infertility. While traditionally thought of as a disease process intrinsic to the uterus, accumulating evidence suggests that fibroid growth may be linked with the systemic vasculature system, although cell-intrinsic factors are certainly of principal importance in their inception. Fibroids are associated with essential hypertension and preeclampsia, as well as atherosclerosis, for reasons that are becoming increasingly elucidated. Factors such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, estrogen, and endothelial dysfunction all likely play a role in fibroid pathogenesis. In this review, we lay out a framework for reconceptualizing fibroids as a systemic vascular disorder, and discuss how pharmaceutical agents and other interventions targeting the vasculature may aid in novel treatment of fibroids.

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