Association of vitamin D status with liver and kidney disease: A systematic review of clinical trials, and cross-sectional and cohort studies.

Background

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a major public health problem. There are few comprehensive systematic reviews about the relationship between Vitamin D status and liver and renal disease in Iran.

Methods

We systemically searched the following databases: Web of Science; PubMed; Cochrane Library; Scopus; Science Direct; Google Scholar and two Iranian databases (Scientific Information Database (SID) and IranMedex) up until November 2017 to identify all randomized control trials (RCTs), case control, cross-sectional and cohort studies investigating the association between vitamin D and any form of liver or kidney disease.

Results

Vitamin D insufficiency, or deficiency (VDD), is highly prevalent in Iran, reports varying between 44.4% in Isfahan to 98% in Gorgan. There is also a high prevalence of VDD among patients with liver or kidney disease, and the administration of vitamin D supplements may have beneficial effects on lipid profile, blood glucose, liver function and fatty liver disease, and bone health. Low serum vitamin D levels are related with abnormalities in these laboratory and clinical parameters.

Conclusion

VDD is prevalent in patients with chronic liver or renal disease in Iran. There appear to be several beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation in vitamin D deficient patients with liver or kidney disease.