Breast cancer risk decreased with higher vitamin D

A study just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention increases the weight of evidence for the importance of vitamin D in breast cancer prevention. The authors state:

"High 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum concentrations have been found to be associated with reduced breast cancer risk. However, few studies have further investigated this relationship according to menopausal status, nor have they taken into account factors known to influence vitamin D status, such as dietary and serum calcium, parathyroid hormone, and estradiol serum levels."

The authors investigated the connection in 636 French women diagnosed with breast cancer compared with 1,272 controls with considerations for age, menopausal status, and other variables. What did the data show?

"We found a decreased risk of breast cancer with increasing 25(OH) vitamin D3 serum concentrations among women in the highest tertile. We also observed a significant inverse association restricted to women under 53 years of age at blood sampling."

They concluded from their evidence:

"Our findings support a decreased risk of breast cancer associated with high 25(OH) vitamin D3 serum concentrations, especially in younger women, although we were unable to confirm a direct influence of age or menopausal status... the maintenance of adequate vitamin D levels should be encouraged by public health policy."

In other words, vitamin D concentrations were found to be a significant influence regardless of age or menopausal status. How do you find out how you're doing with vitamin D? Ask your doctor for a 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] blood test.