Normal vitamin D levels prevent/atenuate cardiovascular aging, autoimmune diseases and cancer: Fact or fiction?

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency, a highly prevalent condition among otherwise healthy individuals even in Western countries, is a well recognized risk factor for higher mortality for all causes, which can be inexpensively corrected. This review presents the current understanding of the pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms responsible for the cause-effect relationship between vitamin D deficiency, defective activation of the vitamin D receptor and a higher prevalence and severity of health disorders that compromise survival. Such disorders extend beyond abnormal calcium and phosphate homeostasis and bone loss to include disorders of accelerated aging, responsible for the development of hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, renal and cardiovascular damage, and also abnormalities in immune function that increase the propensity to viral and bacterial infections, systemic inflammation, autoimmune disease and cancer. An analysis of the advantages and limitations of current recommendations for supplementation with cholecalciferol, ergocalciferol or calcidiol should help improve therapeutic strategies to correct vitamin D deficiency and reach circulating levels that safely prevent the onset of these disorders or attenuate their progression.