Vitamin Information Center

Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC)
Definition
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
was founded 60 years ago to help control malaria.
Today it is the leading U.S. government agency of the
Department of Health and Human Services for protecting
the health and safety of the people of the U.S.,
with the following vision for the 21st century: “Healthy
People in a Healthy World – Through Prevention”.
The CDC focuses national attention on prevention and
control of infectious and chronic diseases, disabilities,
injuries, and environmental health threats. It is headquartered
in Atlanta, Georgia.

AIDS
Synonyms
Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus;
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; HIV-infection;
HIV/AIDS
Definition
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a retrovirus
that primarily infects vital components of the human
immune system such as CD4+ T cells (a subset of T
cells), macrophages and dendritic cells. It impairs the
body’s ability to fight infection and certain cancers.
HIV infection is diagnosable by antibody or antigen
testing. Treatment aims to suppress HIV replication
by combinations of drugs that inhibit HIV enzymes.
Any of a list of illnesses that, when occurring in an
HIV-infected person, leads to a diagnosis of AIDS, the
most serious stage of HIV infection. AIDS is also diagnosed
if an HIV-infected person has a CD4 count below
200 cells/mm3, whether or not that person has an AIDSdefining
condition. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) published a list of AIDS-defining
conditions in 1993. The 26 conditions include candidiasis,
cytomegalovirus disease, Kaposi’s sarcoma,
mycobacterium avium complex, pneumocystis carinii
pneumonia, recurrent pneumonia, progressive multifocal
leukoencephalopathy, pulmonary tuberculosis, invasive
cervical cancer, and wasting syndrome.
Cross-References
 HIV (Human Immunodeficiency-Virus)-Infection
 HIV-Infection and AIDS

Low vitamin D levels are associated with a higher risk of death, according to a report released on August 11, 2008 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Vitamin D is a group of prohormones that play important roles in calcium metabolism, bone formation, parathyroid function, and the immune system. Presently, the ideal bood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) has been suggested as 30 nanograms per milliliter or higher. In the United States, approximately 41% of men and 53% of women have levels lower than 28 nanograms per milliliter.

There are many potential health problems that could contribute to death in individuals with low vitamin D levels, including an effect on blood pressure, insulin response, or risk of obesity and diabetes.

To investigate the potential implications of this deficiency, Michal L. Melamed, M.D., M.H.S., of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y., and colleagues examined 13,331 individuals in the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III), a large cohort study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These individuals were examined for Vitamin D levels between 1988 and 1994, and tracked through 2000, with a median 8.7 years of follow-up.

In this period, 1,806 participants died. When divided into groups based on vitamin D levels, the group maintaining the lowest level, defined as less than 17.8 nanograms per milliliter, showed a 26% increased risk of death from any cause in comparison with the group with the highest levels of vitamin D. This was not associated with cardiovascular disease or cancer alone.

The authors conclude that “the lowest 25(OH)D quartile (less than 17.8 nanograms per milliliter) is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in the general U.S. population.” They continue: “Further observational studies are needed to confirm these findings and establish the mechanisms underlying these observations. If confirmed, randomized clinical trials will be needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation at higher doses could have any potential benefit in reducing future mortality risk in those with 25(OH)D deficiency.”

25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and the Risk of Mortality in the General Population
Michal L. Melamed, MD, MHS; Erin D. Michos, MD, MHS; Wendy Post, MD, MS; Brad Astor, PhD
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(15):1629-1637
Click Here For Abstract

Written by Anna Sophia McKenney
Copyright: Medical News Today