Evidence That Increasing Serum 25(OH)D Concentrations to 30 ng/mL in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Could Greatly Improve Health Outcomes

Abstract

Accumulating evidence supports the potential protective effects of vitamin D against chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune diseases, cancers, cardiovascular disease (ischaemic heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, stroke, and infectious diseases such as acute respiratory tract diseases, COVID-19, influenza, and pneumonia, as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes. The respective evidence is based on ecological and observational studies, randomized controlled trials, mechanistic studies, and Mendelian randomization studies. However, randomized controlled trials on vitamin D supplementation have largely failed to show benefits, probably due to poor design and analysis. In this work, we aim to use the best available evidence on the potential beneficial effects of vitamin D to estimate the expected reduction in incidence and mortality rates of vitamin D-related diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates if minimum serum 25(OH)D concentrations were to be raised to 30 ng/mL. Estimated reductions by 25% for myocardial infarction incidence, 35% for stroke incidence, 20 to 35% for cardiovascular disease mortality, and 35% for cancer mortality rates depicted a promising potential for raising serum 25(OH)D. Methods to increase serum 25(OH)D concentrations at the population level could include food fortification with vitamin D3, vitamin D supplementation, improved dietary vitamin D intake, and sensible sun exposure.

Hearing impairment in relation to vitamin D status in type 2 diabetic patients: A cross-sectional study

“…Notably, our analysis demonstrated that all diabetic patients had vitamin D deficiency. This prevalence was in line with previous reports from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, which showed a prevalence rate of 98%, 83%, and 80%, respectively [32,33]. However, such prevalence is notably higher than other reports from Asia and North America [34,35].…”

Covid-19 And The Level of Awareness of Vitamin D Among Saudi Population – A Cross-Sectional Study of Dental Public Health Perspective

“…9 It was proposed that increasing vitamin D levels could lower the probability of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 development. 10 Immunological reactions have been demonstrated to be modulated by vitamin D. Because of the enormous toll of COVID-19 takes on the immune response, extensive attention has been paid in vitamin D's ability to improve or prevent unfavourable immunological responses. 11 People who are susceptible to the flu and/or COVID-19 need to receive 10,000 IU/day of cholecalciferol for several weeks to elevate 25(OH)D levels, then following with 5000 IU/day, to lower the likelihood of infection.…”

Exposure to a Vitamin D Best Practices Toolkit, Model, and E-Tools Increases Knowledge, Confidence, and the Translation of Research to Public Health and Practice

“…Since the year 2000, however, vitamin D science has advanced significantly beyond its skeletal effects. There are four recent papers that provide a thorough overview of current vitamin D science, including a rationale for the poor results found by some RCTs [1,2,47,48].…”

“…As discussed in detail in Grant et al, the Hill criteria for causality have been analyzed in relation to VDD, and nearly all have been satisfied for many healthcare concerns, including hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), COVID-19, dementia, type 2 diabetes, pancreatic cancer, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, oral health, and periodontal disease when using observational, population, and in some instances, Mendelian randomization studies [2,[48][49][50]. Mendelian randomization studies have also shed light on the roles of genetics and vitamin D metabolism, showing the need for personalized approaches for the prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency in addition to public health measures [2].…”