US Pharm. 2013;38(11):6.
Baltimore, MD—Research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center indicates that low levels of vitamin D increase a child’s risk of anemia. According to researchers, the results provide evidence of a complex interplay between low vitamin D levels and hemoglobin. Among the possible mechanisms are the vitamin’s effects on RBC production in bone marrow and its ability to regulate immune inflammation. In blood samples from more than 10,400 children, vitamin D levels were consistently lower in children with low hemoglobin levels compared with nonanemic children. Levels below 30 ng/mL conferred nearly twice the anemia risk versus normal levels. Senior researcher Jeffrey Fadrowski, MD, MHS, noted that low vitamin D levels may be “a readily modifiable risk factor” that can be handled with supplementation.
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