Vitamin D and health: genome-wide analysis and insights from Mendelian randomisation.

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Inadequate vitamin D intake has been implicated as a risk factor for many important diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, much of the evidence for the health effects of vitamin D comes from observational studies, and conclusions based on these studies may be affected by methodological problems such as bias and confounding. In this study, we will use a novel approach based on genetic information (so-called Mendelian Randomisation) and our aim is to see if the associations between vitamin D and the risk of various diseases can be replicated. If replication is found, this would give further support for a causal association between vitamin D and the outcome of interest. We will use data from the nationwide 1958 British birth cohort, in which over 7000 participants have been followed-up over four decades and detailed information has been collected on genetic markers and a wide-range of health related factors, including vitamin D status, lifestyle, diet, and indicators of disease risk.