CATIE-News – France: Factors linked to low vitamin D levels in HIV-positive people

Vitamin D helps the body absorb the minerals calcium and phosphorus, which are used to build bones. Vitamin D also plays a role in maintaining the strength of muscles. Emerging research suggests that vitamin D may also play a role in the health of many organ-systems, including the brain, kidneys, skin and immune system. A diverse range of tissues and cells have receptors that can bind to vitamin D, suggesting that many tissues interact with this vitamin.

France
French researchers recently completed a study with almost 3,000 HIV-positive people. It will be published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. In this study, less than ideal levels of vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency were common. What made the French study interesting was that the researchers conducted analyses to find possible factors that might have lowered vitamin D concentrations. One of these possible factors may be a specific anti-HIV therapy. Previous studies have found that exposure to the anti-HIV drug efavirenz (Sustiva, Stocrin and in Atripla) is associated with low vitamin D levels. The present French study confirms this association but also attempts to assess the impact of other commonly used anti-HIV drugs on vitamin D levels.

To read more about recent studies and results on Vitamin D and HIV, CLICK HERE