Work

Null Association between Vitamin D and PSA Levels among Black Men in a Vitamin D Supplementation Trial

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Black men exhibit a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency as well as a higher incidence of prostate cancer and higher mortality rates from prostate cancer than Whites. There are few data about the effect of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in healthy Black men. METHODS: During three winters from 2007 to 2010, 105 Black men (median age, 48.9 years) of Boston, MA were randomized into a four-arm, double-blind trial for 3 months of placebo, 1,000, 2,000, or 4,000 U of vitamin D3. At baseline and 3 months, free and total PSA was measured. RESULTS: With vitamin D supplementation, no significant differences in free and total PSA were observed; free PSA, -0.0004 ng/mL (P = 0.94) and total PSA, -0.004 ng/mL (P = 0.92) for each additional 1,000 U/d of vitamin D3. CONCLUSION: Within an unselected population of healthy Black men without a cancer diagnosis, we found no effect of vitamin D supplementation on free or total PSA. IMPACT: These findings support prior findings of no change in PSA with vitamin D supplementation and emphasize the need for new methods to assess the influence of vitamin D supplementation on prostate cancer prevention.

Source: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention

DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-14-0522