The public health importance of vitamin D: determining causal effects of intrauterine and lifetime exposure to vitamin D

这项拨款的目的是确定胎儿发育和儿童时期维生素D水平低是否会增加成年早期患高血压、高胆固醇、高血糖和胰岛素（糖尿病的标志）的风险。维生素D是由皮肤暴露在阳光下产生的。最近减少皮肤暴露在阳光下的公共卫生运动在减少皮肤癌的发生方面取得了成功，但也有人担心，这也导致许多人体内维生素D水平较低。尤其是孕妇和儿童，维生素d含量很可能不足。维生素D水平低可能会产生有害影响。越来越多的证据表明，维生素D水平较低的人患糖尿病和心脏病的风险更高，比如空腹血糖水平较高、胆固醇和血压较高。我们将研究维生素D（在母亲怀孕期间和7-9岁时采集的血液样本中测量）与血液胆固醇、葡萄糖、胰岛素和血压的关系，这是一项对17-18岁的人进行的大型研究。

This aim of this grant is to determine whether low levels of vitamin D during fetal development and in childhood increase the risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose and insulin (markers of diabetes) in early adulthood. Vitamin D is generated by exposure of the skin to sunlight. Recent public health campaigns to reduce skin exposure to sunlight have been successful in reducing the occurrence of skin cancer, but there is some concern that they have also caused low levels of vitamin D in many people. Pregnant women and children in particular are likely to have inadequate levels. Low levels of vitamin D could have detrimental effects. There is increasing evidence that individuals who have lower levels of vitamin D have higher risk factors for diabetes and heart disease, such as higher fasting blood sugar levels and higher cholesterol and blood pressure. We will examine the association of vitamin D (measured in blood samples taken from their mothers during pregnancy and themselves when aged 7-9 years) with measures of blood cholesterol, glucose and insulin and blood pressure in a large study of individuals who are now aged 17-18 years.