25-hydroxyvitamin D
nmol/L or ng/mL
Circulating vitamin D status. Strongly confounded by time outdoors, latitude, adiposity, and wealth.
Observational catalogs link 25(OH)D to almost every chronic disease and to socioeconomic markers. Mendelian randomization and large RCTs (VITAL) have collapsed most of those claims. Correcting clinical deficiency is a medical act. Treating 25(OH)D as an economic or leadership lever is not supported.
Also called vitamin D, calcidiol.
Incident edges
Mendelian randomization · High confidence
25-hydroxyvitamin D→Employment status
Genetic instruments for 25(OH)D do not buy you a job. The observational D–success link was a marker.
Observational · High confidence
25-hydroxyvitamin D↔Disposable income
People with money and outdoor lives have higher 25(OH)D. That is not D causing the money.
Observational · High confidence
Time outdoors→25-hydroxyvitamin D
Sun makes 25(OH)D. This is the boring, real arrow that makes D a terrible instrument for success.
Cases
Sources
- X. Meng et al. (2019). Phenome-wide Mendelian-randomization study of genetically determined vitamin D on multiple health outcomes using the UK Biobank study
- X. Jiang et al. (2021). The causal role of circulating vitamin D concentrations in human complex traits and diseases: a large-scale Mendelian randomization study
- P. Autier et al. (2014). Vitamin D status and ill health: a systematic review
- J. E. Manson et al. (2019). Vitamin D supplements and prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease