title: Vitamin D and the metabolic syndrome.
abstract: Vitamin D is essential in bone mineralization and calcium homeostasis, and an increasing body of evidence suggests that vitamin D may be important for maintaining extraskeletal health, including having beneficial effects on cardiometabolic outcomes. Vitamin D deficiency is widespread, but the role of vitamin D in the metabolic syndrome is not fully elucidated. In this review we summarize data from observational studies and randomized controlled trials on the relation between vitamin D and the metabolic syndrome and its components. A large number of observational studies suggest a relationship between low levels of 25(OH)D and the metabolic syndrome or its individual clinical features. Randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation addressing aspects of the metabolic syndrome have yielded inconsistent results, and many studies suffer from methodological limitations. There is an urgent need for large, well-designed randomized controlled trials with relevant endpoints. Until definitive results from such studies are available, caution should be taken towards the use of vitamin D-supplementation for disorders other than musculoskeletal system. New molecular biological techniques elucidating the interaction between the active vitamin D derivatives and target genes represent a promising approach to more precise knowledge about new biomedical function, which also might shed light on the complex metabolic syndrome.
authors.forename: Hanne L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Gulseth
authors.forename: Ingrid M F
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Gjelstad
authors.forename: Kåre I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Birkeland
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Obesity and Preventive Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, POB 4959 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway. h.l.gulseth@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Christian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Drevon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D