Vitamin D: Good for Some, Not for All! (But Don't Test Everyone)

Overview

Paper Summary › Explain Like I'm Five › Conflicts of Interest › Identified Limitations › Rating Explanation › Good to know › Topic Hierarchy › File Information ›

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title

This clinical practice guideline suggests vitamin D supplementation for children, older adults (75+), pregnant individuals, and those with high-risk prediabetes. It recommends against routine vitamin D testing for most healthy adults and suggests following the Institute of Medicine's recommended daily allowance.

Explain Like I'm Five

The Endocrine Society suggests vitamin D for kids, older adults, pregnant people, and those at risk for diabetes. They don't recommend routine vitamin D testing for most people.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

Some panel members had disclosures related to research funding, pharmaceutical companies, or professional organizations. These were managed according to the Endocrine Society's conflict-of-interest policy.

Identified Limitations

Limited RCTs with Low Baseline Vitamin D

The paucity of RCTs focusing on low baseline vitamin D levels made it challenging to formulate specific recommendations for at-risk populations.

Reliance on Observational Studies

The reliance on observational studies introduces the risk of confounding and various forms of bias, potentially affecting the strength of the recommendations.

Limited Generalizability

The guidelines primarily apply to generally healthy individuals, limiting their generalizability to those with specific medical conditions that influence vitamin D physiology.

Lack of Racial/Ethnic Diversity

Most trials involved participants of European ancestry, potentially limiting the applicability of the findings to diverse racial and ethnic groups.

Uncertainty Regarding Optimal Doses

The optimal doses for vitamin D supplementation remain unclear due to varying doses used in clinical trials.

Rating Explanation

This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations on vitamin D supplementation and testing. While the limitations related to the available evidence prevent definitive conclusions about optimal vitamin D levels for disease prevention, the guideline offers valuable guidance for specific populations. The management of conflicts of interest strengthens the credibility of the recommendations.

Good to know

This is the Starter analysis. Paperzilla Pro fact-checks every citation, researches author backgrounds and funding sources, and uses advanced AI reasoning for more thorough insights.

Explore Pro →

Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Health Sciences

Field: Medicine

Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

File Information

Original Title: Vitamin D for the Prevention of Disease: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline

Uploaded: August 09, 2025 at 12:42 PM

Privacy: Public