Vitamin D’s wider effects on the body, from muscle function to its potential link to diabetes, obesity, and infections, were explored by experts at a global conference in Rome.
Vitamin D’s role beyond bone health was the focal point of the eighth International Conference on Controversies in Vitamin D, held in Rome last month. The event brought together over thirty experts from across Europe, America, and Australia to discuss the hormone’s impact on muscles, the gastrointestinal and immune systems, and its correlation with conditions such as diabetes and obesity.
Professor Andrea Giustina, of Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan and co-coordinator of the conference, emphasised the importance of recognising vitamin D’s pleiotropic effects. “Vitamin D functions as a hormone, acting on multiple fronts,” he said. “It is synthesised mainly through exposure to sunlight, and although guidelines largely focus on its role in bone health, this conference highlighted its influence on a range of bodily functions.”
Giustina, alongside Columbia University’s Professor John P. Bilezikian, led discussions at the conference, which was structured into seven sessions, each moderated by leading specialists.
Vitamin D Beyond the Skeleton
The discussions covered various aspects of vitamin D’s effects, with a particular focus on its influence on muscles, cardiovascular health, diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal function, infections, and immunity. One key theme was vitamin D’s role in muscle health, particularly in the context of sarcopenia – a condition characterised by the loss of muscle mass, common in elderly individuals.
Professor Salvatore Minisola and Professor René Rizzoli reviewed how vitamin D deficiency contributes to muscle weakness and, in turn, increases the risk of falls and fractures. Meanwhile, Professors Maria Luisa Brandi and Marise Lazaretti Castro examined the link between vitamin D and diabetes, exploring how deficiency might contribute to the progression from pre-diabetes to full-blown diabetes.
The cardiovascular effects of vitamin D were also debated, with experts evaluating its influence on conditions such as hypertension and heart disease. There was a growing consensus that vitamin D deficiency could impact cardiometabolic health, particularly in obese individuals. The discussions highlighted that obese patients may need higher doses of vitamin D supplements to reach optimal levels, given their higher risk of deficiency.
COVID-19 and Immunity
Vitamin D’s role in immune health was another major focus of the conference, particularly its potential connection to COVID-19. Sessions led by Professors Neil Binkley and Angelo Fassio explored studies suggesting that vitamin D deficiency might be a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection, as well as its possible link to Long COVID syndrome. Additionally, discussions were held on how vitamin D could influence the body’s immune response to COVID-19 vaccines, with emerging data hinting at an impaired long-term antibody response in individuals with vitamin D deficiency.
Future Outlook
The consensus reached at the conference underscored the need for further research into vitamin D’s wider health benefits. “Vitamin D is a constantly evolving field,” said Giustina, adding that more studies are needed in areas such as cardiometabolic health and gastrointestinal diseases. He also stressed the importance of registries, like those used at the Bone Center of Ospedale San Raffaele, as an effective tool for gathering long-term data on vitamin D supplementation.
As scientific understanding of vitamin D continues to grow, the conference concluded with a call for updated guidelines reflecting its broader health implications.