The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Most Americans get sufficient vitamin D

    With so many studies showing the consequences of low vitamin D blood levels, one might think everyone in American is deficient.

    Researchers from the National Center for Health Statistics report the most recent national data on vitamin D status in the US population.

    First, the details.

    • The data come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES)

    And, the results.

    • In 2001 to 2006, two-thirds of the population had sufficient vitamin D blood levels —
      • 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) value of 50 to 125 nmol/L.
    • About one-quarter were at risk of vitamin D inadequacy
      • 25OHD blood levels between 30 to 49 nmol/L
    • 8% were at risk of vitamin D deficiency
      • 25OHD blood levels less than 30 nmol/L
    • The risk of vitamin D deficiency differed by age, gender, and race and ethnicity.
      • The prevalence was lower in persons who were younger, male, or non-Hispanic white.
      • Among women, the prevalence at risk was also lower in pregnant or lactating women.
    • The risk of vitamin D deficiency increased between 1988–1994 and 2001–2002 in both sexes but did not change between 2001–2002 and 2005–2006.

    The bottom line?

    Most people in the United States are sufficient in vitamin D, based on blood levels of 25OHD proposed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

    4/6/11 21:31 JR

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