November 2001
From Lancet
Vitamin D reduces risk of type 1 diabetes N.B. Please note that if you are outside North America the embargo for Lancet Press Material is 0001 hours UK time Friday 2 November 2001.It is not known why some people get type 1 diabetes (diabetes that starts early in life), but there has been a suggestion that if children have a diet lacking in Vitamin D, they may go on to develop diabetes. In this week�s issue of The Lancet, Dr Elina Hypp�nen and colleagues report a study of 12 055 women who were expected to give birth in 1966, in the north of Finland. A record was kept of vitamin D supplements and the researchers followed the children until 1997 to see how many had developed diabetes. Children who had recommended supplements of vitamin D (usually in the form of cod-liver oil) had a reduced risk of developing diabetes of 80%. The researchers conclude, �We suggest that�health workers ensure that all infants are receiving at least the amount of vitamin D indicated in the current recommendations.� In an accompanying Commentary (page 1476), Dr Jill M Norris from the University of Colorado Health Sciences, adds �The potential role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes is intriguing and deserves follow-up. Prospective studies in which biomarkers of vitamin D are measured at various times before the diagnosis of diabetes are necessary to resolve issues about timing and dose -- such information would be important in the design of intervention trials.� Contacts: Dr Elina Hypp�nen, Department of Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK. E) [email protected] Dr Jill M Norris, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Co 80262, USA. E) [email protected]
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