Why do men die prematurely?

Free, circulating vitamin D levels in the blood may be a better predictor of future health risks in aging men, according to a study being presented at e-ECE 2020. These data suggest the free, precursor form of vitamin D found circulating in the bloodstream is a more accurate predictor of future health and disease risk than the often measured total vitamin D. Since vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple serious health conditions as we get older, this study suggests that further investigation into vitamin D levels and their link to poor health may be a promising area for further research.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in Europe, especially in older people. It has been associated with a higher risk of developing many aging-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. However, there are several forms, or metabolites, of vitamin D in the body. Still, it is the total amount of these metabolites that are most often used to assess the vitamin D status of people. The prohormone, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D, is converted to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which is considered the active form of vitamin D in our body. More than 99% of all vitamin D metabolites in our blood are bound to proteins, so only a tiny fraction is free to be biologically active. Therefore the free, active forms may be a better predictor of current and future health.

Dr. Leen Antonio from University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium and a team of colleagues investigated whether the free metabolites of vitamin D were better health predictors, using data from the European Male Ageing Study, collected from 1,970 community-dwelling men, aged 40-79, between 2003 and 2005. The levels of total and free metabolites of vitamin D were compared with their current health status, adjusting for potentially confounding factors, including age, body mass index, smoking, and self-reported health. The total levels of both free and bound vitamin D metabolites were associated with a higher risk of death. However, only free 25-hydroxyvitamin D was predictive of future health problems and not free 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.

Dr. Antonio explains, "These data further confirm that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a negative impact on general health and can be predictive of a higher risk of death."