Volume No : Volume: 02 Issue : 7 Year : 2014 Page No: 336-346
Authors : Priyanka Singh, Urvashi Mehlawat, Shubra Pande
Abstract :
Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD) has become a worldwide public health problem. Globally about one billion people suffer from VDD. It is well known that vitamin D has an established role in skeletal growth, development and its maintenance. Adequate vitamin D status is also important for optimal function of many organs and tissues throughout the body. Vitamin D receptors are present on a large variety of cell types, including myocytes, cardiomyocytes, pancreatic beta-cells, vascular endothelial cells, neurons, immune cells and osteoblasts. Deficiency of vitamin D leads to skeletal disorders like rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Recent evidence suggest that in addition to skeletal disorders VDD is also responsible for exacerbating various non-communicable diseases such as obesity, hypertension, cardio vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, cancer, neurological disorders etc. Due to paucity of scientific evidence on the role of vitamin D in the manifestation of these non-communicable diseases, it becomes necessary to carry out further research and establish the association of VDD with these diseases.
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