The Study
Evidence for involvement of the vitamin D receptor gene in idiopathic short stature via a genome-wide linkage study and subsequent association studies.
This study found that kids with short stature were more likely to have a certain version of a gene related to vitamin D, but it doesn’t prove that gene causes short stature — it just shows they’re linked, like finding that kids who eat a lot of candy also have more cavities, but we don’t know if the candy caused the cavities.
Analysis score
Maximum 58 for a case-control study.
Where the score came from
Scientists looked at families where kids are much shorter than average and found a gene called VDR on chromosome 12 might be why. A tiny change in this gene (called rs10735810) was passed more often to the shorter kids.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 529 / 100
Quality score
Researchers compare people who have a condition (cases) with similar people who do not (controls), looking back in time for differences in exposure. Useful but more prone to bias.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — if true, this one gene change could explain why over 1 in 3 cases of unexplained short stature happen in kids.
- 2The gene change was passed to affected kids 34% of the time in the studied population.
- 3Linkage score was 3.18 (strong for genetics).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Human molecular genetics
Year
2006
Authors
A. Dempfle, S. Wudy, K. Saar, S. Hagemann, S. Friedel, A. Scherag, L. Berthold, G. Alzen, L. Gortner, W. Blum, A. Hinney, P. Nürnberg, H. Schäfer, J. Hebebrand
Related Content
Claims (5)
People who naturally have more vitamin D in their blood tend to be taller as adults, and this link comes from our genes—not because vitamin D makes you grow taller, but because the same genes that affect vitamin D also affect how tall you get.
Scientists have found that a specific part of our DNA, located on chromosome 12, is linked to how tall adults grow, and now they think this same DNA area might also play a role in why some children are much shorter than expected for no clear reason.
Some kids who are much shorter than average might have a specific gene change that makes it more likely they’ll be short — and this gene change is passed down more often to those kids.
Scientists found a specific spot on chromosome 12 that seems to be linked to why some kids are much shorter than average, and this spot is right next to a gene that helps the body use vitamin D.
A specific gene variation called rs10735810 might be behind as much as one in three cases of unexplained short height in kids, based on studies of families where this trait runs in the bloodline.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.