Calcium and Vitamin D Intakes in Relation to Risk of Distal Colorectal Adenoma in Women

The authors examined intakes of calcium and vitamin D, and interaction with retinol, in relation to risk of adenoma of the distal colon or rectum among 48,115 US women who were free of colorectal cancer or polyps, completed a food frequency questionnaire in 1980, and underwent endoscopy by 2002. They documented 2,747 cases of adenoma (1,064 large, 1,531 small, 2,085 distal colon, and 779 rectal). Total calcium intake was weakly associated with distal colorectal adenoma risk (multivariable relative risk (RR) for extreme quintiles = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74, 1.04; p(trend) = 0.06), particularly for large adenoma (RR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.96; p(trend) = 0.02). Total vitamin D intake was weakly associated with reduced risk of distal colorectal adenoma (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.63, 0.99; p(trend) = 0.07), but more strongly with distal colon adenoma risk (RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.87; p(trend) = 0.004). The combinations of high vitamin D and low retinol intake (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.28, 1.10) further decreased risk of distal colorectal adenoma when compared with the opposite extreme. Higher total calcium and vitamin D intakes were associated with reduced risk, and the actions of vitamin D may be attenuated by high retinol intake.