Proceedings of the Rank Forum on Vitamin D.
The Rank Forum on Vitamin D was held on 2nd and 3rd July 2009 at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. The workshop consisted of a series of scene-setting presentations to address the current issues and challenges concerning vitamin D and health, and included an open discussion focusing on the identification of the concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) (a marker of vitamin D status) that may be regarded as optimal, and the implications this process may have in the setting of future dietary reference values for vitamin D in the UK. The Forum was in agreement with the fact that it is desirable for all of the population to have a serum 25(OH)D concentration above 25 nmol/l, but it discussed some uncertainty about the strength of evidence for the need to aim for substantially higher concentrations (25(OH)D concentrations>75 nmol/l). Any discussion of 'optimal' concentration of serum 25(OH)D needs to define 'optimal' with care since it is important to consider the normal distribution of requirements and the vitamin D needs for a wide range of outcomes. Current UK reference values concentrate on the requirements of particular subgroups of the population; this differs from the approaches used in other European countries where a wider range of age groups tend to be covered. With the re-emergence of rickets and the public health burden of low vitamin D status being already apparent, there is a need for urgent action from policy makers and risk managers. The Forum highlighted concerns regarding the failure of implementation of existing strategies in the UK for achieving current vitamin D recommendations.
Nutritional Sciences Division, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK. s.lanham-new@surrey.ac.uk
S A
SA
Lanham-New
J L
JL
Buttriss
L M
LM
Miles
M
M
Ashwell
J L
JL
Berry
B J
BJ
Boucher
K D
KD
Cashman
C
C
Cooper
A L
AL
Darling
R M
RM
Francis
W D
WD
Fraser
C P G M
CP
de Groot
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E
Hyppönen
M
M
Kiely
C
C
Lamberg-Allardt
H M
HM
Macdonald
A R
AR
Martineau
T
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Masud
A
A
Mavroeidi
C
C
Nowson
A
A
Prentice
E M
EM
Stone
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Reddy
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Vieth
C M
CM
Williams
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010018:Osteomalacia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011634:Public Health; D012016:Reference Values; D012279:Rickets / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D