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by 0-_-0 2225 days ago
> I want to see Vitamin D status included in a large population study like this

Although vitamin D is not mentioned in this study, it does show that black people have a hazard ratio of about 2 compared to whites. In the UK black people would be more vitamin D deficient than white people.

Now that I think about it, isn't the potential for vitamin D deficiency the reason there are white people in the first place?

3 comments

> Now that I think about it, isn't the potential for vitamin D deficiency the reason there are white people in the first place?

Yes. Pale skin has better vitamin D production in low light, while black skin avoids skin damage even in extreme sunlight. Skin color is just evolution finding the right trade-off for the local climate.

From NHS advice on vitamin D referenced in my previous comment

“Some people will not get enough vitamin D from sunlight because they have very little or no sunshine exposure.” .. “ If you have dark skin – for example you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background – you may also not get enough vitamin D from sunlight.”

Sickle cell disease is also more common in people of African origin, so that could be another reason for a higher hazard ratio.