Biomarkers · Nutritional

Serum Vitamin A (Retinol)

Both low and high values go with higher risk of death. Not measured in our NHANES panel. The curve is drawn from the published study (source below).

Retinol and risk of death

Published curve higher than the NHANES fitNHANES fit higher

Risk of death relative to the curve's reference value, drawn from the published study (source below).

Published risk of death2.90×deficient (<30 ug/dL) vs normal (30-80 ug/dL) serum vitamin A (95% CI 2.00–4.30) · NHANES III participants aged 50 years or older with baseline serum vitamin A, USA

Retinol by age and sex

Each bar runs from the 5th to the 95th percentile, the darker part from the 25th to the 75th, and the tick is the median. Not a reference range or a target.

The percentiles as a table

Each row is one sex and age band: the values below which 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 95% of people fall (umol/L), from the survey named in the row. Not a reference range or a target.
Sex	Age	5th	25th	Median	75th	95th	n	Cycle / source
All	20-39	1.07	1.41	1.72	2.04	2.64	1,447	NHANES 2017-2018
All	40-59	1.18	1.53	1.84	2.21	2.80	1,568	NHANES 2017-2018
All	60+	1.26	1.63	1.96	2.35	3.08	1,915	NHANES 2017-2018
All	all	1.15	1.51	1.82	2.17	2.85	4,930	NHANES 2017-2018
Men	20-39	1.22	1.57	1.86	2.14	2.78	693	NHANES 2017-2018
Men	40-59	1.29	1.69	2.00	2.33	2.89	734	NHANES 2017-2018
Men	60+	1.29	1.67	1.98	2.38	3.10	971	NHANES 2017-2018
Men	all	1.25	1.64	1.93	2.26	2.95	2,398	NHANES 2017-2018
Women	20-39	0.97	1.33	1.55	1.86	2.38	754	NHANES 2017-2018
Women	40-59	1.11	1.42	1.65	2.00	2.69	834	NHANES 2017-2018
Women	60+	1.25	1.62	1.92	2.33	3.01	944	NHANES 2017-2018
Women	all	1.09	1.42	1.69	2.07	2.73	2,532	NHANES 2017-2018

What studies found when this marker was changed

They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.

Measured changes in Retinol, study by study

3 effects with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.

Each row is one study: what was changed, the effect it reported on this marker, and the source.
Type	Intervention	Reported effect	Evidence	Source
diet	Staple foods fortified with vitamin A plus other micronutrients vs no intervention in low- and middle-income settings	Serum retinol rose 0.22 µmol/L (95% CI 0.15 to 0.30) vs no intervention; 2 trials, n=318; duration not stated for this comparison (3 to 9 months across the review)	meta-analysis	Hombali AS, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;5():CD010068.
supplement	Combined zinc and vitamin A supplementation during treatment of sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in adults	Serum retinol rose 0.12 µmol/L (95% CI 0.10 to 0.14) vs control at 6 months (0.06 at 2 months)	meta-analysis	Wagnew F, et al. BMJ Glob Health. 2022;7(9):e008625.
supplement	Daily 600 kcal snacks with 20 g protein plus micronutrient tablets vs control for lactating mothers in Delhi	Maternal serum retinol 0.6 µmol/L higher vs control at 6 months postpartum; n=600 pairs	RCT	Manapurath R, et al. Public Health Nutr. 2024;27(1):e179.

Sources

Risk curve: Min 2014 (PMID 25149896): all-cause HR 2.9 (2.0-4.3) deficient (<30 ug/dL) vs normal (30-80 ug/dL) serum vitamin A; excessive (>80 ug/dL) vs normal HR 1.2 (1.1-1.4). Scaled to US values (NHANES).
Min et al. Relation of serum vitamin A levels to all-cause and cause-specific mortality among older adults in the NHANES III population. Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD. 2014;24:1197-203.

Map Serum Vitamin A (Retinol) against another biomarker.

Map Retinol against another marker