Not that I know of, but I’m not the world’s expert on vitamin D.

Dr. Eades, just read this very recent study, which contradicts your statements and shows no association between statins with improvements in vitamin D status. Please comment on this with an updated ammendum to your blog article.

Thanks,
Dr. S.

in AMI:
“L-Arginine Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction
The Vascular Interaction With Age in Myocardial Infarction”

JAMA. 2006
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/295/1/58

There was no significant change from baseline to 6 months in the vascular stiffness measurements or left ventricular ejection fraction in either of the 2 groups, including those 60 years or older and the entire study group. However, 6 participants (8.6%) in the L-arginine group died during the 6-month study period vs none in the placebo group (P = .01). Because of the safety concerns, the data and safety monitoring committee closed enrollment.

with **long term** use in PAD:
“L-Arginine Supplementation in Peripheral Arterial Disease
No Benefit and Possible Harm”

Circulation. 2007
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/116/2/188

Conclusions— In patients with PAD, long-term administration of L-arginine does not increase nitric oxide synthesis or improve vascular reactivity. Furthermore, the expected placebo effect observed in studies of functional capacity was attenuated in the L-arginine-treated group. As opposed to its short-term administration, long-term administration of L-arginine is not useful in patients with intermittent claudication and PAD.

and a letter to the editor:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/117/6/e157

You were right that 7-dehydrocholesterol is made from cholesterol. Interestingly this paper:
“Provitamin D3 in Tissues and the Conversion of Cholesterol to 7-Dehydrocholesterol in vivo” from 1951 tells that 7-DHC is made mainly in the gut wall. What does this mean? Has dietary or cholesterol in bile acids a role in a production of this vitamin D precursor?

I haven’t looked into it yet. I’m not surprised to find that much of it is made in the gut wall because the gut is where a lot of cholesterol is made.

What do You think?

Could be. I need to go back and recheck all the steps in these synthesis pathways. I was under the impression that 7-dehydrocholesterol was a derivative of cholesterol and not the other way around.

Sorry, but I’ve never heard of it and have no experience with it.

Jeffrey Dach MD

I have noticed that, thanks to the efforts of Dr John Cannell, many mainstream docs in my area have begun to order Vitamin D tests and supplement when found to be low.

Satellite Maps of the Earth

Satellite maps of the earth showing UV Sunlight exposure correlate with serum Vitamin D levels, and the farther north, the lower the Vitamin D, and the higher the incidence of Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis in our population.

These NASA space satellite photos of North America color coded for UV sun exposure can be seen on Dr. Grant’s Vitamin D Web Site. Here, you will see a pattern remarkably similar to the incidence of cancer and multiple sclerosis. This is thought to be due to differences in Vitamin D levels. The farther north with less sun exposure and lower Vitamin D levels, there is an increased incidence of cancer and multiple sclerosis.

Diseases Caused by, or Associated With Vitamin D Deficiency:

Again here is the list: Osteoporosis, Hypertension, Cardiovascular disease, Cancer, Depression, Epilepsy, Type One Diabetes, Insulin resistance, Autoimmune Diseases, Migraine Headache, PolyCystic Ovary Disease (PCOS), Musculoskeletal and bone pain, Psoriasis.

Vitamin D deficiency has been reported in 57% of 290 medical inpatients in Massachusetts, 93% of 150 patients with overt musculoskeletal pain in Minnesota, 48% of patients with Multiple Sclerosis, 50% of patients with lupus and fibromyalgia, 42% of healthy adolescents, 40% of African American Women, and 62 % of the morbidly obese, 83% of 360 patients with low back pain in Saudi Arabia, 73% of Austrian patients with Ankylosisng Spondylitis, 58% of Japanese girls with Graves’s Disease, 40% of Chinese adolescent girls, 40-70% of all Finnish medical patients. (the above is from Dr Cannell newsletter)

Low Vitamin D in Florida?

Surprisingly, we have been seeing low vitamin D levels even here in sunny Florida demonstrated by serum 25-OH Vit D blood testing. These people avoid the sun for fear of skin cancer.

To read a synopsis of Dr John Cannell’s excellent work…
http://jeffreydach.com/2007/06/10/vitamin-d-deficiency–by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

Vitamin D Deficiency by Jeffrey Dach MD

Jeffrey Dach MD
4700 Sheridan Suite T
Hollywood Fl 33021
954-983-1443
http://www.naturalmedicine101.com