Authors: Noordam R; de Craen AJ; Pedram P; Maier AB; Mooijaart SP; van Pelt J; Feskens EJ; Streppel MT; Slagboom PE; Westendorp RG; Beekman M; van Heemst D
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Low levels of 25(OH) vitamin D are associated with various age-related diseases and mortality, but causality has not been determined. We investigated vitamin D levels in the offspring of nonagenarians who had at least one nonagenarian sibling; these offspring have a lower prevalence of age-related diseases and a higher propensity to reach old age compared with their partners. METHODS: We assessed anthropometric characteristics, 25(OH) vitamin D levels, parathyroid hormone levels, dietary vitamin D intake and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with vitamin D levels. We included offspring (n = 1038) of nonagenarians who had at least one nonagenarian sibling, and the offsprings' partners (n = 461; controls) from the Leiden Longevity Study. We included age, sex, body mass index, month during which blood sampling was performed, dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake, and creatinine levels as possible confounding factors. RESULTS: The offspring had significantly lower levels of vitamin D (64.3 nmol/L) compared with controls (68.4 nmol/L; p = 0.002), independent of possible confounding factors. There was no difference in the levels of parathyroid hormone between groups. Compared with controls, the offspring had a lower frequency of a genetic variant in the CYP2R1 gene (rs2060793) (p = 0.04). The difference in vitamin D levels between offspring and controls persisted over the 2 most prevalent genotypes of this SNP. INTERPRETATION: Compared with controls, the offspring of nonagenarians who had at least one nonagenarian sibling had a reduced frequency of a common variant in the CYP2R1 gene, which predisposes people to high vitamin D levels; they also had lower levels of vitamin D that persisted over the 2 most prevalent genotypes. These results cast doubt on the causal nature of previously reported associations between low levels of vitamin D and age-related diseases and mortality.
Keywords: *Adult Children; *Aged, 80 and over; Case-Control Studies; Cholestanetriol 26-Monooxygenase/genetics; Diet; Female; Genotype; Humans; Linear Models; *Longevity; Male; Middle Aged; Parathyroid Hormone/blood; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; *Siblings; Vitamin D/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives/blood; Vitamins/administration & dosage|
Journal: CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne Volume: 184 Issue: 18 Pages: E963-8 Date: Nov. 7, 2012 PMID: 23128285 |
Noordam R, de Craen AJ, Pedram P, Maier AB, Mooijaart SP, van Pelt J, Feskens EJ, Streppel MT, Slagboom PE, Westendorp RG, Beekman M, van Heemst D (2012) Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in familial longevity: the Leiden Longevity Study. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne 184: E963-8.
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