A study of more than 300,000 adults in the UK has revealed a causal link between vitamin D deficiency or so-called sun vitamin and mortality.
The results of the study, published in the journal Anaioles of International Medicine, pointed to the need for public health strategies to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D in the population, with the results linking the state of low sun vitamin to an increase in mortality.
Researchers from the University of South Australia at Adelaide conducted a randomized study on 307601 participants from the UK's Biobank to assess genetic evidence of the causal role of low vitamin D in mortality.
The researchers evaluated the measurements of participants in the vitamin 25-hydroxy vitamin D deficiency test and other genetic data, recording and analyzing mortality data for all specific causes and causes.
Over the 14-year follow-up period, the authors found that the risk of death decreased significantly as vitamin D concentrations increased, and the strongest effects were observed on people within the acute deficiencies range.
The researchers noted that recent estimates of the prevalence of severe shortages range from 5 to 50 percent of the population, with rates varying by geographical location and characteristics of the population.
According to the researchers, the study confirms the potential for a noticeable impact on premature death and the ongoing need for efforts to eliminate vitamin D deficiency.