A new study published in British Medical Journal used Mendelian randomization to discover that genetically low vitamin D levels were related to increased all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and other mortality, but not cardiovascular mortality.
Mendelian randomization is a unique type of study design which examines how genes that are associated with certain health markers affect physical traits. We covered this design in a previous blog.
Vitamin D has been associated with increased all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in observational research. However, the randomized intervention trials that have examined the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and mortality have not provided clear support for a role of vitamin D in mortality.
The study found that 1 or 2 genes associated with low vitamin D were not associated with heart problems.
OK.
3 other genes associated with low vitamin D have been studied in depth
291 genes have been found to be affected by just 2,000 IU of vitamin D.
2,000 genes have vitamin D receptors.
So, all this study proved was that 0.1% of the genes related to low vitamin D are not associated with heart problems.