Publications by authors named "Andrea Darling"

Article Synopsis
  • A systematic review analyzed the relationship between vitamin D status and immune function in dark-skinned individuals, focusing on acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI).
  • Researchers reviewed 2077 articles and included 18 studies in the analysis, but only three high-quality RCTs offered strong enough data for further assessment.
  • The findings indicated a possible inverse link between vitamin D levels and inflammation or ARTI occurrence; however, vitamin D supplementation showed no significant effect on ARTI rates amongst ethnic minority groups, highlighting the need for more diverse research.
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The global population is at risk of vitamin D deficiency due to low exposure to sunlight and low intake of the vitamin through diet. The aim of this study was to investigate in women the association between vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone (PTH), ultraviolet radiation, lifestyle, ethnicity, social conditions, and residential greenness. A 1-year longitudinal study assessed vitamin D status in 309 women living at latitude 51°14' N.

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Aims: There has been uncertainty whether SGLT2 inhibition predisposes to hyperkalaemia or is protective from it. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to assess effects of SGLT2 inhibition on serum-potassium and hyperkalaemia-events in T2DM.

Methods: MEDLINE and PubMed databases were searched for 'hyperkalaemia' or 'potassium', with SGLT2 inhibitors in T2DM, to 31st December 2020.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the link between vitamin D levels (25(OH)D), lean mass, and muscle strength in postmenopausal women, using data from 102 participants from the D-FINES study.
  • Despite assessing various measurements including muscle strength and mass, the results showed no significant correlation between vitamin D levels and these health indicators across different seasons.
  • There was a slight trend suggesting older women (≥65 years) may experience more prevalence of sarcopenia, yet overall, vitamin D status did not impact musculoskeletal health indicators significantly.
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Article Synopsis
  • The human microbiota interacts with various factors like diet and lifestyle, significantly impacting bone health across different life stages.
  • Research suggests a connection between gut microbes and bone metabolism, indicating possible roles in osteoporosis prevention and treatment.
  • The paper outlines key findings from a workshop on microbiota and bone health, highlighting necessary research directions and recommendations for effective study methodologies in this emerging field.
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The vitamin D status of the United Kingdom (UK) African-Caribbean (AC) population remains under-researched, despite an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency due to darker skin phenotypes and living at a high latitude. This cross-sectional study explored the vitamin D status and intake of AC individuals ( = 4046 with a valid serum 25(OH)D measurement) from the UK Biobank Cohort, aged ≥40 years at baseline (2006-2010). Over one third of the population were deficient (<25 nmol/L), 41.

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A multi-disciplinary expert group met to discuss vitamin D deficiency in the UK and strategies for improving population intakes and status. Changes to UK Government advice since the 1st Rank Forum on Vitamin D (2009) were discussed, including rationale for setting a reference nutrient intake (10 µg/d; 400 IU/d) for adults and children (4+ years). Current UK data show inadequate intakes among all age groups and high prevalence of low vitamin D status among specific groups (e.

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Background/objectives: Vitamin D deficiency remains a global public health issue, particularly in minority ethnic groups. This review investigates the vitamin D status (as measured by 25(OH)D and dietary intake) of the African-Caribbean population globally.

Subjects/methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching key databases (PUBMED, Web of Science, Scopus) from inception until October 2019.

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Background: The rapid global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has re-ignited interest in the possible role of vitamin D in modulation of host responses to respiratory pathogens. Indeed, vitamin D supplementation has been proposed as a potential preventative or therapeutic strategy. Recommendations for any intervention, particularly in the context of a potentially fatal pandemic infection, should be strictly based on clinically informed appraisal of the evidence base.

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The present paper reviews published literature on the relationship between dietary protein and bone health. It will include arguments both for and against the anabolic and catabolic effects of dietary protein on bone health. Adequate protein intake provides the amino acids used in building and maintaining bone tissue, as well as stimulating the action of insulin-like growth factor 1, which in turn promotes bone growth and increases calcium absorption.

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Little research has assessed serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and its predictors in Western-dwelling South Asians in a relatively large sample size. This observational, cross-sectional analysis assessed baseline prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in UK-dwelling South Asians (aged 40-69 years, 2006-2010) from the UK Biobank Cohort. Serum 25(OH)D measurements were undertaken using the DiaSorin Liaison XL assay.

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Vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D; 25(OH)D) is at epidemic proportions in western dwelling South Asian populations, including severe deficiency (<12⋅5 nmol/l) in 27-60% of individuals, depending on season. The paper aimed to review the literature concerning vitamin D concentrations in this population group. Research from the UK and Europe suggests a high prevalence of South Asians with 25(OH)D concentration <25 nmol/l, with most having a 25(OH)D concentration of <50 nmol/l.

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Research has investigated 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in the Atopic Dermatitis (AD) population, as well as changes in AD severity after vitamin D (VitD) supplementation. We performed an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis of these findings. Electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE and COCHRANE up to February 2018 were performed.

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The effects of urban living on health are becoming increasingly important, due to an increasing global population residing in urban areas. Concomitantly, due to immigration, there is a growing number of ethnic minority individuals (African, Asian or Middle Eastern descent) living in westernised Higher Latitude Countries (HLC) (e.g.

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Objective: Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D<25nmol/L) is extremely common in western-dwelling South Asians but evidence regarding vitamin D supplement usage in this group is very limited. This work identifies demographic, dietary and lifestyle predictors associated with vitamin D supplement use.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline vitamin D supplement use data.

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Seafood intake in pregnancy has been positively associated with childhood cognitive outcomes which could potentially relate to the high vitamin D content of oily fish. However, whether higher maternal vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) in pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of offspring suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcomes is unclear. A total of 7065 mother-child pairs were studied from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort who had data for both serum total 25(OH)D concentration in pregnancy and at least one measure of offspring neurodevelopment (pre-school development at 6-42 months; 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire' scores at 7 years; intelligence quotient (IQ) at 8 years; reading ability at 9 years).

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As part of the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF-AICR) Continuous Update project we performed a systematic review of prospective studies with data for both measured or predicted 25(OH)D concentration and kidney cancer risk. PubMed was searched from inception until 1st December 2014 using WCRF/AICR search criteria. The search identified 4 papers suitable for inclusion, reporting data from three prospective cohort studies, one nested case-control study and the Vitamin D Pooling Project of Rarer Cancers (8 nested case-control studies).

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The aim of this pilot study was to explore the risk of metabolic abnormalities in steel workers employed in different shift-work rotations. Male workers in a steel factory [16 employed in a fast clockwise rotation (CW), 18 in slow counterclockwise rotation (CC), 9 day workers (DW); mean age 43.3 ± SD 6.

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There is some evidence that South Asian women may have an increased risk of osteoporosis compared with Caucasian women, although whether South Asians are at increased risk of fracture is not clear. It is unknown whether older South Asian women differ from Caucasian women in bone geometry. This is the first study, to the authors' knowledge, to use peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT) to measure radial and tibial bone geometry in postmenopausal South Asian women.

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Background: There has been a resurgence of interest in the controversial relation between dietary protein and bone health.

Objective: This article reports on the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the relation between protein and bone health in healthy human adults.

Design: The MEDLINE (January 1966 to September 2007) and EMBASE (1974 to July 2008) databases were electronically searched for all relevant studies of healthy adults; studies of calcium excretion or calcium balance were excluded.

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