![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
Background: Inadequate vitamin D status is a worldwide problem. Evidence is accumulating that individuals with low vitamin D status have excess mortality rates. We calculated to which extent annual mortality rates can be reduced in the German population by optimizing vitamin D status.
Methods: Our calculations are based on (i) an annual mortality rate of 1.34% in the adult German population as provided by the Statistical Yearbook, (ii) the actual vitamin D status in German adults with a high mortality risk as assessed in 1,343 individuals from 264 general practitioners in different German regions (DEVID study), and (iii) data from two very large prospective cohorts (Dobnig et al., 2008; Melamed et al, 2008) about the excess mortality in individuals with inadequate vitamin D status.
Results: Mean serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the DEVID study cohort were 41 nmol/l (SD: 22 nmol/l). More than 90% of individuals had 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations below the threshold that was associated with lowest mortality risk in the two aforementioned trials (75 nmol/l). According to conservative estimations, at least 2.2% of all deaths or 18,300 lives annually can be saved by achieving 25(OH)D concentrations of at least 75 nmol/l in the entire adult German population. Available data provide evidence for an exponential increase in total mortality with deficient 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations.
Conclusion: Improving vitamin D status in a population with inadequate vitamin D status might be an effective strategy to reduce annual mortality rates.
Figures and Tables
Figure 1 Association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with annual mortality rates according to 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartiles (median concentrations) of previously published data in adults.Citation11,Citation12
Table 1 Characteristics of the DEVID study cohort in comparison to different other large study cohorts
Table 2 Mortality in the adult german population (19) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in subjects of the DEVID study
Table 3 Hazard ratios for all-cause mortality according to 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartile in the LURIC studyCitation11
Table 4 Hazard ratios for all-cause mortality according to 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartile in the NHANES III studyCitation12