Vitamin D status in caucasian and South Asian women : implications for health in relation to osteoporosis and cardiovascular risk

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a worldwide public health concern as it increases the risk of many diseases and disorders. Little is known about the health outcomes of such deficiency in the South Asian population, in which it is more pronounced. The aim of this thesis was therefore to investigate the ethnic differences between South Asians and Caucasians with regard to the effect of vitamin D status on osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease risk. Furthermore, the study aimed to determine the extent of the problem and the genetic or social reasons behind it. METHODS: The research involved three sub-projects; the first of which undertook further analysis of the data from the original Vitamin D, Food Intake, Nutrition and Exposure to Sunlight in Southern England (D-FINES) study. Subjects from D- FINES were then re- invited to take part in the second part of this research, which measured volumetric bone density of the tibia and radius as using (pQCT)estimates of bone health. General health and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis were assessed by standard clinical biochemical blood assays. The final stage utilised an interventional study design to test the efficiency of vitamin D production in both ethnic groups following controlled exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo