Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) may be crossed off the list of diseases for which vitamin D is considered an effective alternative.

This was stated by American researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

Analysis of data from the long-term Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study showed the following:.

Participants with a relatively high level of the vitamin D metabolite 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) have the same risk of brain pathologies on MRI data (foci of increased MR signal in the white matter were determined) as their peers with a low level of 25-. This was announced by study author Dr. Erin Michos (Erin Michos).

The occurrence of new brain lesions indicative of cerebrovascular disease 10 years later also did not depend on the level of 25-OH-D in the blood of participants. Boston researchers cite such data in the online journal JAMA Neurology..

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However, proponents of vitamin D megadoses are already criticizing the results of the new study..

For example, Mihos and colleagues used the sum of 25-OH-D2 and 25-OH-D3, and the mean total 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the upper quartile in whites was 36 ng/mL (SD 5.5). For African Americans, the mean in the top quartile was 26 ng/mL (SD 4.2).

Many vitamin D proponents believe that only vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is important, and that mean levels of its metabolite below 50 ng/mL are of no clinical significance in any setting other than osteoporosis prevention..

Dr. Mihos performed the first blood test and MRI on 1,622 patients, and only 888 participants had a second test and scan 10 years later. Both white and African American participants aged 55-72 (mean age 62) had no history of stroke or TIA.

All white study participants were residents of Forsyth County, North Carolina.. Most African Americans lived in a completely different place - Jackson, Mississippi.

The correlation between total vitamin D metabolite levels and the presence of foci of elevated MR signal in the brain was analyzed separately for white patients and for African American patients..

The researchers adjusted their analysis for age, gender, education, income level, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, waist circumference, use of vitamin D supplements..

For statistical analysis, participants were arbitrarily categorized by total 25-OH-D levels, with mean values \u200b\u200bof 16.2, 22.6, 27.5, and 36.0 ng/mL for white participants. For African Americans, quartile mean values \u200b\u200bwere 10.1, 14.6, 18.6, and 26.0 ng/mL.

Women of both races dominated the bottom quartiles, while the top quartiles of both sexes were roughly equal..

After all significant factors were added to the analysis, the researchers concluded that every 10 ng/mL reduction in 25-hydroxyvitamin D was associated with virtually zero change in the risk of white matter MR foci.. The results were similar when rescanned 10 years later..

The scientists found these results surprising, noting that previous studies have linked vitamin D to blood pressure regulation, which would reduce the risk of cerebrovascular disease.. Previously, vitamin D has also been associated with improved cognitive function, which again does not link with the results of the latest work..

They noted that the addition of blood pressure measurements and the use of antihypertensive drugs to the analysis had no effect on the results..

Dr. Mihos and his colleagues admit that their results contradict the results of previous studies by other authors, but these studies had a different methodology.. For example, a 2010 cross-sectional study that included 318 people showed that low vitamin D levels are associated in the elderly with high volume of foci of increased MR signal and large focal infarcts..

Despite the controversy, Dr. Mihos writes, "

medbe. en.