Low vitamin D levels explains most ESRD risk in African-Americans

Low levels of vitamin D may account for nearly 60 percent of the elevated risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in African Americans, according to a report in the December Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). 'Our study adds to previous evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to the progression of kidney disease and the need for dialysis,' comments Michal L. Melamed, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, NY). 'It also explains a fair amount of the increased risk of ESRD in African Americans.' Vitamin D is obtained from sun exposure, food and food supplements...

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