title: Vitamin D: hero or hype.
abstract: In recent years, vitamin D deficiency has been implicated, by predominantly observational studies, in a wide variety of ailments including skeletal disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, mental and neurologic disorders, and various etiologies of adverse pregnancy outcome. The following is a review of the physiology of vitamin D, clinical signs and symptoms of inadequate and excessive vitamin D, and the literature purporting its many presumed health benefits.
authors.affiliation: Board Certified OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine, Partner, Specialty Obstetrics of San Diego, San Diego, CA; Perinatologist, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Norman B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Duerbeck
authors.affiliation: Board Certified OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine, Partner, Specialty Obstetrics of San Diego, San Diego, CA; Perinatologist, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.affiliation: Active Obstetrical Nurse, Locum Tenums, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Jillinda M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Duerbeck
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D