(Boston)—In June of 2024, the Endocrine Society, influenced by a substantial body of research conducted in recent years, published new clinical practice guidelines for the testing and supplementation of Vitamin D for the prevention of disease. These new recommendations included limiting vitamin D supplementation beyond the daily recommended intake to specific risk groups and advised against routine 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] testing in healthy individuals.
In a new review article in the journal, Endocrine Practice, Michael Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, pharmacology, physiology & biophysics and molecular medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, compares and contrasts the 2024 Endocrine Society’s Clinical Guidelines on Vitamin D with those he helped design in 2011.
“The 2011 guidelines provided clinicians with guidance for how to evaluate and treat patients with vitamin D deficiency and prevent recurrence, whereas the 2024 guidelines made recommendations for the general healthy population for skeletal and extra skeletal health benefits of vitamin D. I believe this will cause great confusion for physicians and health care professionals as to how to determine if their patient who is at risk for vitamin D deficiency is vitamin D deficient since screening children and adults for their vitamin D status is not recommended in the new guidelines,” explains Holick.
Among the major differences:
According to Holick the 2024 Guidelines, ignored association studies and other studies and relied on randomized controlled trials, most of which were not placebo-controlled, for their recommendations. “As a result, they do not provide guidance for the many healthful benefits of vitamin D including: reducing cancer mortality by more than 25%; the incidence of metastatic and fatal cancer by 38%; autoimmune disorders by 39%, including type 1 diabetes by 88%; advancement of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes by 76%, peripheral vascular disease by 88% and lowering risk of respiratory tract infections by 58%. In terms of COVID 19 infection, hospitalizations and mortality was reduced by as much as 74%, 22% and 45% respectively, and accelerating COVID positive patients to COVID negativity by 66%; reducing risk of pre-term birth by 62% and preeclampsia and need for a cesarean section by more than 50%,” he adds.
Endocrine Practice
Literature review
Not applicable
Revisiting Vitamin D Guidelines: A Critical Appraisal of the Literature
1-Dec-2024