Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40131935›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and the risk of colorectal cancer: A cross-sectional study.

Yuru Wang, Siqi Feng, Jian Chen, Yun Li, Miaomiao Wang, Tingting Wu, Shujuan Fu, Zhangjie Zhou, Cunya Li, Pantong Wu and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Yuru WangShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Siqi FengShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Jian ChenShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Yun LiChanghai Community Health Service Center, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China.
Miaomiao WangShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Tingting WuShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Shujuan FuShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Zhangjie ZhouShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Cunya LiShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Pantong WuShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.
Zhiying WangShanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Zhixian ZhongTongji University, Shanghai, China.
Yi ZhongShanghai TCM-integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5320-0725

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe role of vitamin D in the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been the focus of research, but the results of relevant studies are not entirely consistent. While most studies indicate that vitamin D has a protective effect against CRC, there are also research reports stating that at high serum levels, there is no significant association between vitamin D and CRC, or even an increased risk. Additionally, there are still differences in the recommended serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations among various guidelines or committees. This study examined the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and the risk of CRC in US adults.

methodsThis study included 43,678 adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2018, and logistic regression modelling was used to examine the association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and the risk of CRC. We grouped participants according to the classification criteria of the various guidelines available for vitamin D, and controlled for confounding using a multi-model strategy, adjusting for key covariates such as gender, age, race, education level, marital status, family income to poverty ratio (PIR), body mass index (BMI), smoking habits, drinking habits, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, calcium intake, and total folate intake. We also performed trend tests to evaluate the linear relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and CRC risk, used restricted cubic spline (RCS) plots to assess the dose-response relationship, and conducted further subgroup analyses with interaction tests to examine potential variations in the association across different population groups. We focused on the association between serum 25(OH)D concentration ≤ 75 nmol/L and CRC, again using multivariable logistic regression with a multi-model strategy and RCS plots.

resultsA total of 43,382 participants without CRC and 296 participants with CRC were included in this study. In the fully adjusted model, participants with serum 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L had more than twice the risk of developing CRC compared to those with levels of 50-< 75 nmol/L (<30 nmol/L: Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.038, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.011-4.109; 30- < 50 nmol/L: OR = 2.090, 95% CI: 1.361-3.211). The negative correlation between serum 25(OH)D concentration and the risk of CRC was significant when serum 25(OH)D concentration was ≤ 75 nmol/L (P < 0.001). Each 1 nmol/L increase in serum 25(OH)D concentration was associated with an approximately 2.3% reduction in the risk of CRC (95% CI: 0.964-0.990).

conclusionsOur findings indicate a strong inverse association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and the risk of CRC, particularly when levels are ≤75 nmol/L. Maintaining serum 25(OH)D above 75 nmol/L is associated with a lower CRC risk and may serve as a cost-effective preventive strategy. Public health measures, including routine vitamin D screening in high-risk populations and targeted supplementation, could further support CRC prevention efforts.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsVitamin DAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysRisk FactorsUnited States25-hydroxyvitamin DVitamin D

Identifiers

PMID40131935
PMCPMC11936264

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.