Understanding the Complications of Vitamin D Deficiency: Risks, Symptoms, and Prevention
Perhaps the most talked-about vitamin of them all, vitamin D, also known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, is an important player in human health. The sad fact is that vitamin D deficiency is rampant, both worldwide and here in the US, and it has the potential to affect people of all ages if action is not taken to prevent its serious ramifications. Here, we take a look at some of the maladies that can arise when people ignore — or cannot avoid having vitamin D deficiencies. To understand them, it’s important to recognise the multitude of good things that vitamin D can do when it is present at adequate levels in the body.
Bone Health and Osteoporosis
Vitamin D also ensures that the body absorbs calcium from the intestines, and lower levels of it decrease the amount of calcium being absorbed by the gut. As a result, the amount of calcium draining into the bloodstream reduces, and the body compensates by drawing calcium out of bones into the blood. This eventually leads to osteoporosis, or weakened bones. Porous, brittle bones are the hallmark of osteoporosis, and it’s a condition that takes months or even years to fully develop. The problem exists because the body is extracting calcium from the bones, and eventually, there isn’t enough calcium in the bones. This increases the risk of fractures among older adults, as it’s a population most impacted by the condition. Chronic pain and loss of movement can also result.
It also has a significant effect on the quality of life, as those with osteoporosis frequently have trouble with getting about and with caring for themselves, so they make increased demands on nurses and care home staff. The economic impact of osteoporosis is also huge, and sustained increased levels of osteoporosis and fractures will exacerbate this. This is why preventative strategies are so important. Availability of vitamin D from diet, sun exposure and supplements supports bone density, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fracture.
Immune System Dysfunction
Vitamin D helps to regulate the immune system. It boosts the ability of monocytes and macrophages (immune system cells critical to fighting infection), helping them kill pathogens more efficiently. And it reduces inflammation. A vitamin D deficiency results in a compromised immune system – our body becomes more vulnerable to infection. We now know that those with insufficient vitamin D are at a greater risk of respiratory infections – infectious pneumonia, tuberculosis and influenza.
The connection between vitamin D and infection also has important implications for non-infectious diseases. Larger amounts of vitamin D have been shown to decrease the risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, which involve uncontrolled attacks by the immune system against the body’s own tissues. Maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels is essential both for the function of the immune system and for protection against infectious diseases and autoimmunity.
Cardiovascular Health Issues
There is growing evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of cardio vascular disease. Vitamin D receptors are present in several organs where they participate in regulating health. For instance, vitamin D receptors have been identified on the cells that form the heart muscle and on the cells that line blood vessels. These findings suggest that vitamin D might have an important role in the normal function of the cardiovascular system and, when it is deficient, it might play a part in the development of cardiovascular disease. Of particular interest is preventing the calcification of arteries, which will contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Studies suggest that there is an association between vitamin D deficiency and hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Vitamin D deficiency is thought to be involved in cardiovascular health and disease in part by way of such things as inflammation and insulin resistance. Epidemiological studies have linked higher vitamin D levels with lower risk of heart disease. Getting adequate vitamin D from dietary sources and supplements and sensible sun exposure may be important in blood vessel and cardiovascular health, and in keeping down our risk of heart disease.
Mental Health and Cognitive Function
We do have vitamin D receptors in the brain, so this vitamin certainly influences brain function.’ A vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with increased rates of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. Mental health issues might, in part, be attributable to reductions in neurotransmitter production that vitamin D influences. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals between brain cells, and deficiencies in them could impact our mood and thought processes as well as our mental health and quality of life.
Another alarming consequence of vitamin D deficiency stems from its potential impact on cognitive function in older adults. Poor vitamin D status has been linked to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Loss of cognitive ability can completely alter a person’s quality of life. It undermines their independence and ability to carry out daily activities of living. The role of vitamin D in mental health and cognitive function is an emerging area of study. So, this area is ripe for new investigation and thrust into the forefront of public health. However, if we act on what we already understand today, then we’ll catch up to the challenge. Monitoring vitamin D status and treating deficiencies will remain a mainstay of future public health initiatives.
Muscle Weakness and Pain
If we don’t get enough of it through food or exposing ourselves to the sun, it can also impact muscle function. Vitamin D controls the entry and exit of calcium into muscle cells, which is critical for muscle contraction – absence of which results in pain and weakness in the muscles. This can make you clumsier and more likely to sustain a fall or injury by causing muscle weakness and atrophy – a period in which muscles become lessened in size and volume (a 2012 meta-analysis suggests that those below their ideal vitamin D levels have higher risk of falls – in adjusting for other factors, the risk actually tripled with poor levels). Again, this becomes problematic at a time when our bodies are already more prone to atrophy with age.
The link between vitamin D and muscle health applies to chronic pain conditions even more directly, as pain from a range of causes can be related to vitamin D deficiency. Patients with chronic pain, for instance, not only experience tissue injury that further depletes already-low vitamin D levels but, in a feedback loop, have even more pain because of the deficiency. Improving vitamin D stores through supplementation and other lifestyle changes can improve strength, decrease pain, and enhance physical function.
Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases
Low vitamin D status is associated with an increased risk of numerous chronic diseases including diabetes, certain cancers and chronic kidney disease. There is a growing body of evidence to support the role of vitamin D in glucose metabolism, primarily because of its ability to regulate insulin secretion and sensitivity. Low vitamin D status has been associated with an increased risk of development of type 2 diabetes and poor glycaemic control among people with diabetes.
The beneficial role of vitamin D is also being investigated in cancer prevention. Adequate vitamin D levels might decrease the risk of colorectal and breast cancer, according to some studies. Vitamin D deficiency can negatively impact the progression of chronic kidney disease and influence calcium and phosphate balance in the body. Prevention of chronic conditions, such as these, depends on adequate vitamin D.
Conclusion
We now see vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide causing serious disease through relationships to bone health, immune function, cardiovascular health, mental health, muscle strength and risk of chronic illnesses, all of which we circle back to here in order to underline that it is essential to keep one’s vitamin D levels in the optimal range as much as possible via diet or appropriate supplementation and routine, sensible sun exposure. Correcting and preventing vitamin D deficiency helps to promote and preserve good health and improve the overall quality of life of almost all age groups. Regular and routine monitoring and proactive management of the disorder can result in successful outcomes reducing the serious complications it can cause.
