Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and cause-specific mortality in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Issue 198 (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Heath, Alicia K.; Hodge, Allison M.; Ebeling, Peter R.; Kvaskoff, David; Eyles, Darryl W.; Giles, Graham G.; English, Dallas R.; Williamson, Elizabeth J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology. Issue 198(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Vitamin D -- 25-hydroxyvitamin D -- Mortality -- Cancer mortality -- Cardiovascular mortality -- Respiratory disease mortality; Steroid hormones -- Periodicals; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Hormones -- Periodicals; Molecular Biology -- Periodicals; Hormones stéroïdes -- Périodiques; Steroid hormones; Periodicals; 572.579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2020.105612
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-0760

Abstract

Highlights: Vitamin D deficiency appears to be associated with certain specific causes of death. Higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was associated with lower cancer mortality. Circulating 25(OH)D was inversely associated with respiratory disease mortality. 25(OH)D was inversely associated with death from diseases of the digestive system. Abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher all-cause mortality, but associations with specific causes of death are unclear. We investigated the association between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and cause-specific mortality using a case-cohort study within the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS). Eligibility for the case-cohort study was restricted to participants with baseline dried blood spot samples and no pre-baseline diagnosis of cancer. These analyses included participants who died ( n = 2307) during a mean follow-up of 14 years and a sex-stratified random sample of eligible cohort participants ('subcohort', n = 2923). Concentration of 25(OH)D was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Cox regression, with Barlow weights and robust standard errors to account for the case-cohort design, was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for cause-specific mortality in relation to 25(OH)D concentration with adjustment for confounders. Circulating 25(OH)D concentration was inversely associated with risk of death due to cancer (HR per 25 nmol/L increment = 0.88, 95 % CI 0.78–0.99), particularly colorectal cancer (HR = 0.75, 95 % CI 0.57–0.99). Higher 25(OH)D concentrations were also associated with a lower risk of death due to diseases of the respiratory system (HR = 0.62, 95 % CI 0.43–0.88), particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR = 0.53, 95 % CI 0.30–0.94), and diseases of the digestive system (HR = 0.44, 95 % CI 0.26–0.76). Estimates for diabetes mortality (HR = 0.64, 95 % CI 0.33–1.26) and cardiovascular disease mortality (HR = 0.90, 95 % CI 0.76–1.07) lacked precision. The findings suggest that vitamin D might be important for preventing death due to some cancers, respiratory diseases, and digestive diseases.