Systematic Review Finds Correlation Between Vitamin D Levels and Breast Health
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women worldwide. In a review of the published literature, researchers evaluated the possible correlation of plasma vitamin D deficiency and breast cancer risk among women.
The systematic review involved a search of MeSH (medical subject headings) keywords on PubMed, and appraisal of the evidence was performed using quality assessment tools from the national institutes of health, national heart, lung and blood institute (NHLBI).
After screening 76 potential articles, 13 articles met eligibility criteria for inclusion. The definition of vitamin D deficiency in most of the studies was a plasma level below 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/L).
The results of this study provide evidence that compared to control populations, vitamin D deficiency has been prevalent in patients with breast cancer, and the risk of breast cancer has increased with low vitamin D levels.
