New Study Puts Cost on Vitamin D Deficiency

by | May 4, 2010 | 2010, Vitamin D - Mortality, Vitamins

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Researchers found that increasing vitamin D blood levels in the Canadian population to 105 nanomoles/Liter would result in 16.1% fewer deaths each year in Canada (37,000 people) and reduce healthcare costs by 7.3%, saving $14.4 billion each year.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin with well-known health benefits in promoting calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining proper blood levels of calcium and phosphate to enable normal mineralization of bone. The current vitamin D recommendations by the National Institutes of Health are 200 IU for people up to 50 years of age, 400 IU for people 51-70 years, and 600 IU for 71 years and older. For blood levels of vitamin D, the National Institutes of Health defines vitamin D deficiency, inadequacy, adequacy, and toxicity as follows:

  • Deficiency = less than 10-11 ng/mL (equal to 25-27.5 nmol/L)
  • Inadequacy = 11-15 ng/mL (27.5-37.5 nmol/L)
  • Adequacy = at least 15 ng/mL (at least 37.5 nmol/L)
  • Toxicity = greater than 200 ng/mL (500 nmol/L) (1)

With vitamin D deficiency very common in children (2), long-term health effects will continue if steps are not taken to increase vitamin D intake. Now a new study (3) has put a price on vitamin D deficiency.  Researchers obtained data from the Statistics Bureau, Canada on deaths and death rates for 2005 for diseases related to vitamin D (4).  They found that increasing vitamin D blood levels in the Canadian population to 105 nanomoles/Liter would result in 16.1% fewer deaths each year in Canada (37,000 people) and reduce healthcare costs by 7.3%, saving $14.4 billion each year.

The researchers bolstered the accuracy of their findings by citing a previous U.S study of 13,331 people and an average follow-up of 8.7 years (5).  The study showed a 26% increased risk of death for those in the lowest 25% of vitamin D blood levels (less than 44.5 nmol/L) compared to those with the highest 25% of vitamin D levels (greater than 80 nmol/L).

When suggesting vitamin D amounts, they cited research showing 1,000 IU per day would raise vitamin D blood levels by 12-15 nmol/L (6) and that supplementing 3,600 IU per day for an entire year would cost only $10.  For the researchers, “It is recommended that Canadian health policy leaders consider measures to increase serum 25(OH)D levels for all Canadians.”

Source: Grant, William B., et al. “An estimate of the economic burden and premature deaths due to vitamin D deficiency in Canada.” Molecular nutrition & food research 54.8 (2010): 1172-1181.

© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Posted May 4, 2010.

References:

  1. “Vitamin D” posted on the office of dietary supplements http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp
  2. Mansbach JM.  Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels Among US Children Aged 1 to 11 Years:  Do Children Need More Vitamin D?  Pediatrics 2009;124;1404-1410.
  3. Grant WB.  An estimate of the economic burden and premature deaths due to vitamin D deficiency in Canada.  Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2010, 54 , 1 –10.
  4. http://www.statcan.gc.ca
  5. Melamed, M. L., M ichos, E . D ., Post, W., A stor, B., 2 5Hydroxyvitamin D levels and t he risk of mortality in the general population . Arch. I ntern. M ed. 2008, 168, 1629–1637.
  6. Lappe JM.  Vitamin D and calcium s upplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2007, 85, 1586–1591