Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40351383›Full record

ArticleTherapeutic advances in gastroenterology2025

Nonlinear associations of serum vitamin D levels with advanced liver disease and mortality: a US Cohort Study.

Yuan-Tsung Tseng, Chun-Hsiang Wang, Jung-Der Wang, Kow-Tong Chen, Chung-Yi Li

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Article in Therapeutic advances in gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

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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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

5 authors.

Yuan-Tsung TsengDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.
Chun-Hsiang WangDepartment of Hepatogastroenterology, Tainan Municipal Hospital (Managed by Show Chwan Medical Care Corporation), Tainan City, Taiwan.
Jung-Der WangDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.
Kow-Tong ChenDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.
Chung-Yi LiDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0321-8908

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent and linked to chronic diseases; its association with advanced liver disease progression requires clarification. Objectives: To investigate the association between vitamin D levels and risks of liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mortality, and assess risk changes after achieving sufficiency post-supplementation. Design: This was a retrospective cohort study. Methods: Utilized TriNetX US data (3,905,594 patients, 2000-2024). Adults with vitamin D deficiency (20.00-30.00 ng/mL) were compared with those with sufficient levels (30.01-80.00 ng/mL). Follow-up was initiated from the first vitamin D test or start of supplementation to minimize immortal time bias. Propensity score matching (1:1) balanced >20 baseline confounders. Results: After matching, 1,204,760 patients with vitamin D deficiency and 1,204,760 with sufficient vitamin D levels were included. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk of liver cirrhosis (hazard ratio (HR), 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25-1.36), HCC (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.37), and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.13-1.16). Achieving sufficient vitamin D levels reduced the risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99) and aligned HCC outcomes (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.68-2.00). However, it did not significantly reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.69-2.50). Dose-response analysis showed a U-shaped relationship for liver cirrhosis and HCC, with the lowest risks at 40-60 ng/mL. Conclusion: Serum vitamin D levels showed a nonlinear association with liver cirrhosis and HCC risk; deficiency independently increased the risks for cirrhosis, HCC, and mortality. Supplementation achieving sufficiency reduced mortality and normalized HCC risk but not cirrhosis risk, potentially reflecting limitations in reversing established disease. The lowest liver disease risk was associated with vitamin D levels of 40-60 ng/mL in this cohort, although causality and the clinical benefit of targeting this specific range require confirmation.

Indexed as

hepatocellular carcinomaliver cirrhosismortalityvitamin D deficiencyvitamin D supplementation

Identifiers

PMID40351383
PMCPMC12062647

What Socratic holds

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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 Socratic graph.