Vitamin D for Clinical Diseases in Women: An Indispensable Factor in Medicine and Dentistry

Abstract

Vitamin D, commonly known as the “sunshine vitamin”, is a secosteroid hormone. It is recognized for its neuroprotective role in brain development and it has a key role in bone metabolism, muscle function, oral health, and temporomandibular disorders. Vitamin D is involved in a range of important physiological processes, such as promoting cell growth and differentiation, facilitating immunomodulation regulation, neurotransmission, and alleviating anti-inflammatory effects. Vitamin D deficiency is known to be implicated in a range of pathological conditions, particularly in women, including: musculoskeletal disorders; metabolic, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases; oral health status; temporomandibular disorders; malignancies; psychiatric conditions; and chronic pain. In this scenario, ongoing research is investigating the role of vitamin D in subcellular, molecular, and chemical processes, with a high interest in physiology, as read in the recent literature on vitamin D deficiency in the female sex. Therefore, in the present Special Issue, we aim to present evidence on the key role that vitamin D might play in the wellbeing of bone health, musculoskeletal status, oral health status, temporomandibular disorders, and pregnancy, in women.

Pharmacological, Nutritional, and Rehabilitative Interventions to Improve the Complex Management of Osteoporosis in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Narrative Review

“…Therefore, vitamin D might have a key role in a comprehensive rehabilitation approach to COPD-related disability targeting physical performance and pulmonary function [ 94 , 95 , 96 ]. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, vitamin D and calcium supplementation has been associated with any pharmacological drug prescribed in COPD patients with osteoporosis and should be considered a milestone of the general therapeutic approach to osteoporosis [ 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 ].…”

“…Denosumab, a fully human IgG2 monoclonal antibody against Receptor Activator of Nuclear factor Kappa B (RANKL-B), has been proposed to treat osteoporosis patients by reducing the rate of clinical fragility fractures (both hip and vertebrae) [ 97 ]. Denosumab is administrated as a subcutaneous injection of 60 mg once every 6 months.…”

“…Denosumab is administrated as a subcutaneous injection of 60 mg once every 6 months. It is approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women and men at increased fracture risk, and for the prevention and treatment of cancer treatment-induced bone loss [ 97 , 139 ]. In patients with GIO, denosumab has been associated with reduction in vertebral, non-vertebral, and hip fractures, while safety and efficacy are maintained over 10 years of treatment, also considering the high compliance and persistence by the patients [ 161 , 162 , 163 ].…”

Oral Health in Breast Cancer Women with Vitamin D Deficiency: A Machine Learning Study

“…Interestingly, our regression machine learning model analysis highlighted that vitamin D serum levels have been associated with higher weight of influence on the DMFT score. In the last few decades, the nutritional consequences of vitamin D deficiency on periodontal health represented a matter of interest [ 20 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. By a recent systematic review with meta-analysis, Machado et al [ 53 ] reported that patients with chronic periodontitis had lower serum levels of vitamin D than periodontally healthy patients.…”

“…Hence, bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws [ 16 ], oral lesions [ 15 ], caries [ 17 ], and periodontal tissue diseases (e.g., gingivitis and periodontitis) [ 18 , 19 ] may occur in a higher percentage of BC women undergoing cancer treatments and anti-osteoporotic drugs. Similarly, vitamin D plays a key role in different fields of medicine, including dentistry, and acts through several mechanisms, including cellular proliferation and differentiation, cell maturation, and innate immune system response [ 20 ]. Moreover, high serum vitamin D3 levels may be strongly associated with an increase in the overall survival rate of BC patients [ 21 , 22 ], and this could be related to the fact that both vitamin D3 and vitamin D receptors (VDR) are involved in BC pathogenesis.…”