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Vitamin D and the Liver-Correlation or Cause?
Jeremy T Keane1, Harendran Elangovan2, Rebecca A Stokes3,4
1Centre for Diabetes, Obesity & Endocrinology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia. jeremytkeane@gmail.com.
Nutrients
|April 17, 2018
Summary
Vitamin D plays a key role in liver health beyond bone health. Research suggests vitamin D may help manage liver disease, but more clinical trials are needed to confirm its benefits.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Hepatology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Vitamin D is recognized for its physiological roles beyond skeletal homeostasis.
- Emerging evidence links vitamin D status to the development and progression of liver diseases.
- The liver is a significant site for vitamin D metabolism and activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of vitamin D's role in liver homeostasis.
- To explore the association between vitamin D and various hepatic diseases.
- To discuss the therapeutic potential of vitamin D in liver disease management.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of pre-clinical and clinical studies.
- Analysis of data on vitamin D's impact on liver function and disease markers.
- Evaluation of existing clinical trial evidence regarding vitamin D supplementation in liver disease.
Main Results:
- Pre-clinical studies show promising protective effects of vitamin D against liver injury.
- Observational studies suggest a correlation between low vitamin D levels and increased liver disease severity.
- Clinical trials investigating vitamin D's efficacy in liver disease are largely under-powered.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D is increasingly recognized for its non-skeletal physiological functions, including in the liver.
- Further well-powered clinical trials are essential to establish the definitive role and efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in managing liver diseases.
- Vitamin D and its analogues represent a potential therapeutic avenue for liver disease, warranting further investigation.
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