bims-vitmet 2025-08-24 papers

Issue of 2025–08–24
four papers selected by
Onurkan Karabulut, Berkeley City College

Bioinformation. 2025 ;21(5): 1248-1252

Vitamin - D deficiency as a risk factor in primary hypertension - A cross sectional study.

Pushpendra Singh Sengar, Amit Saxena, Anurag Jain.

The level of serum vitamin - D among patient with essential hypertension is of interest. Vitamin D plays a significant role in cardiovascular health, with emerging evidence linking its deficiency to hypertension. Therefore, it is of interest to assess the association between vitamin D deficiency and primary hypertension. A total of 100 patients with primary hypertension were evaluated for serum 25(OH)D levels. A significant proportion of hypertensive patients were found to have low vitamin D levels. These findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be a potential modifiable risk factor in the management of primary hypertension.

Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency; blood pressure; cardiovascular risk factors; hypertension pathophysiology; primary hypertension; serum 25(OH) D levels

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6026/973206300211248

Cureus. 2025 Aug;17(8): e90038

Association Between Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy and Vitamin B12 Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Oliver Parnham, Wesley Patient.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely prescribed medications that have been linked to vitamin B12 deficiency. However, due to methodological differences between studies and the diagnostic inaccuracies of vitamin B12 assessment methods used, results are conflicting. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the association between chronic (>6 months) PPI use and vitamin B12 deficiency by assessing two biomarkers of vitamin B12 status: serum vitamin B12 and total homocysteine levels. A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Data was extracted from each study and used to calculate standardised mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for serum vitamin B12 and total homocysteine levels between chronic PPI users and controls using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was tested via chi-squared, with p<0.05 indicating significant heterogeneity, and the degree of heterogeneity was quantified using the I² statistic. Six studies (1587 cases and 2272 controls), consisting of three cross-sectional studies, two cohort studies, and one randomised controlled trial, met the inclusion criteria. The standardised mean differences for serum total vitamin B12 (0.01, 95% CI -0.14-0.16, p=0.92) and total homocysteine levels (0.05, 95% CI -0.02-0.11, p=0.17) showed no difference between PPI users and controls. There was no association between chronic PPI use and vitamin B12 deficiency when assessing total serum vitamin B12 and total homocysteine levels. A lack of studies using multiple vitamin B12 biomarkers makes it difficult to recommend monitoring of vitamin B12 levels in low-risk patients prescribed chronic PPIs. Therefore, future studies should include at least two biomarkers of vitamin B12 status (serum vitamin B12, homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, and holotranscobalamin), in addition to serum folate, serum calcium, and dietary intake, across several age brackets and PPI dosages.

Keywords: homocysteine; ppi; proton pump inhibitor; vitamin b12; vitamin b12 deficiency

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.90038

J Cell Mol Med. 2025 Aug;29(16): e70780

Genetics and Vitamin D Interactions in Osteoporosis: A Path to Precision Medicine.

Sepideh Abdollahi, Forough Taheri, Amirhossein Sangi Nasab Lahijan, Saba Hatefi Shoga, Ali Didehban, Saeid Doaei.

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk; it poses a significant global health challenge. The multifactorial pathogenesis of osteoporosis involves complex interactions between genetic factors and vitamin D metabolism, particularly involving key genes such as the vitamin D receptor (VDR), CYP27B1 and CYP24A1. Polymorphisms in these genes, including FokI, BsmI, TaqI and ApaI in the VDR gene, have been associated with variations in BMD, fracture susceptibility and differential responses to vitamin D supplementation, underscoring the importance of personalized medicine. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 500 loci, including WNT16, ESR1 and SOST, linked to osteoporosis-related traits, underlining the disease's polygenic nature and the impact of gene-environment interactions, including dietary vitamin D intake, sun exposure and gene variations. Despite these advancements, translating genetic insights into clinical practice remains challenging, especially due to the variability in genetic determinants and limited access to genotype assessment such as gene sequencing. This review advocates for precision medicine approaches to osteoporosis management. By addressing the gaps in the studies on osteoporosis aetiology, integrating genetic screening into routine diagnosis and care and promoting collaborative efforts in genomics, nutrition and public health, the global burden of osteoporosis can be significantly reduced. This approach offers a promising pathway to improve patient outcomes and advance personalized medicine strategies for osteoporosis as a debilitating condition.

Keywords: bone mineral density (BMD); genetic polymorphisms; osteoporosis; precision medicine; vitamin D metabolism

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.70780

Front Nutr. 2025 ;12 1623490

Vitamins improve the effect of heavy metal exposure in arthritis after hysterectomy.

Binkai Xu, Xian Wu, Zhiwei Liu, Bin Yu.

Background: The interplay between gynaecological surgeries and arthritis pathogenesis remains poorly understood. This study offers new insights into potential health risks associated with post-hysterectomy.
Methods: The cross-sectional study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018, which cannot establish the causation. The effects of five serum heavy metal and nine vitamin intakes were evaluated.
Results: A total of 3,121 participants with complete data from NHANES (2007 ~ 2018) were included in this study. The prevalence of arthritis among participants having undergone hysterectomy was significantly increased (58.25% vs. 31.64%, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the levels of blood lead were significantly increased in women having undergone gynaecological surgery (p < 0.001) and women with arthritis (p < 0.001). After additionally adjusting, hysterectomy was still associated with an increased risk of arthritis (OR = 3.33, p < 0.0001). A non-linear (L-shaped) relationship was observed in blood lead, mercury, and cadmium (p for non-linearity <0.001). Blood lead was the highest weighted quantile sum (WQS) weigh among five heavy metals, with the highest contributions of 0.72. Mediation analysis demonstrated that blood lead accounted for 6.02% of the observed association between hysterectomy and arthritis (p < 0.001). The RCS curves confirmed that there was a non-linear (L-shaped) relationship between vitamin K, vitamin D, and the risk of arthritis caused by hysterectomy (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Hysterectomy is associated with an increased risk of arthritis, with a focus on blood lead as a mediating factor and vitamin intake as a potential protective factor. It will contribute to the long-term health management after hysterectomy.

Keywords: arthritis; heavy metal; hysterectomy; lead; vitamin

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1623490