Thailand Medical Study Reveals Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency, Malnutrition and Inflammation in Colorectal Cancer
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Apr 01, 2026 1 hour, 53 minutes ago
Thailand Medical: A new clinical study from Thailand has uncovered a strong and clinically important relationship between vitamin D deficiency, poor nutritional status, and systemic inflammation in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The findings highlight that these conditions frequently occur together and may collectively influence disease severity and patient outcomes rather than acting independently.
Vitamin D deficiency malnutrition and inflammation are strongly interconnected in advanced colorectal cancer
patients and may jointly influence disease outcomes.
High Rates of Nutritional Problems and Vitamin Deficiency
The
Thailand Medical study analyzed 58 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer receiving care at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok. Researchers found that 55.17 percent of patients had abnormal nutritional status, while 50 percent were deficient in vitamin D. Additionally, 37.93 percent had insufficient vitamin D levels, leaving only a small fraction with adequate levels.
Importantly, 34.48 percent of patients were at risk of malnutrition and 20.69 percent were already malnourished. These findings confirm that nutritional impairment is extremely common in advanced colorectal cancer and should be considered a core clinical issue rather than a secondary concern.
The researchers involved were from the Department of Food and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University; the Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University; the Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University; and the Center of Excellence in Metabolomics for Life Sciences, Chulalongkorn University.
Clear Associations Between Vitamin D and Inflammatory Markers
A key finding of the study was the relationship between vitamin D levels and markers of inflammation. Lower vitamin D concentrations were associated with higher levels of white blood cells, neutrophil percentages, and absolute neutrophil counts. This suggests that vitamin D deficiency is linked with increased systemic inflammation in these patients.
Conversely, higher vitamin D levels were positively associated with better nutritional scores and higher albumin levels. These correlations indicate that vitamin D status may reflect both immune and nutritional conditions in advanced colorectal cancer patients.
This Medical News report highlights that vitamin D levels were not significantly associated with body composition measures such as muscle mass or strength, suggesting that its primary role in this context may be linked more closely to inflammation and biochemical pathways rather than physical muscle parameters.
Nutritional Status Closely Tied to Clinical Indicators
The study also showed that nutritional status, assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment, was strongly linked to multiple clinical and bi
ochemical markers. Poor nutritional status was associated with higher inflammatory indicators, including white blood cell counts, neutrophils, platelet levels, and alkaline phosphatase.
Additionally, patients with worse nutritional status had significantly higher carcinoembryonic antigen levels, a tumor marker, indicating a possible relationship between malnutrition and tumor burden or disease activity.
Patients with better nutritional scores showed higher muscle strength, higher muscle mass index, and improved biochemical profiles, reinforcing the importance of maintaining adequate nutrition in managing advanced colorectal cancer.
Albumin Emerges as a Key Associated Marker
Among all measured variables, serum albumin stood out as the only factor consistently associated with both vitamin D levels and nutritional status in multivariable analysis. Higher albumin levels were linked with higher vitamin D concentrations and better nutritional scores.
However, the researchers emphasized that albumin should not be interpreted as a direct marker of nutrition alone, as it is also influenced by inflammation, disease severity, and other physiological factors. Instead, it should be viewed as a combined indicator reflecting multiple underlying processes.
Muscle Loss and Sarcopenia Observed but Not Linked to Vitamin D
The study identified sarcopenia in 29.31 percent of patients, with a higher prevalence among those with poor nutritional status. However, no significant relationship was found between vitamin D levels and measures of muscle mass or strength.
This suggests that while malnutrition contributes directly to physical decline, vitamin D deficiency may play a more indirect role through immune and inflammatory mechanisms rather than muscle deterioration.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that vitamin D deficiency, malnutrition, and systemic inflammation are closely interconnected in patients with advanced colorectal cancer and should be evaluated together rather than separately. The findings emphasize that albumin serves as an important associated marker linking these conditions, although it reflects a combination of nutritional and inflammatory influences. A comprehensive assessment that includes vitamin D levels, nutritional status, and biochemical markers is essential for improving patient management and guiding supportive care strategies. These insights reinforce the need for integrated clinical approaches that address both metabolic and inflammatory aspects of advanced colorectal cancer.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Nutrients.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/7/1059
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