Study Finds Association Between Low Vitamin D Levels and Colorectal Health Risk

African Americans are approximately 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and approximately 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups. According to a new study, African American women with low vitamin D levels may have a 41% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to African American women with high vitamin D levels.

Participants in the study included 49,534 African American women who took part in the Black Women's Health Study. Participants completed questionnaires every 2 years that were used to calculate vitamin D scores for each participant. Participants were followed for 12 years, and all incidences of colorectal cancer were recorded.

Participants who had the lowest vitamin D scores were found to have a 41% higher risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who had the highest vitamin D scores.

The study was conducted by researchers from Boston University. It was published online ahead of print on October 7, 2021 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers.