Vitamin D has been widely studied for its implications on type 2 diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition characterized by insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. This review explores the molecular mechanisms underpinning vitamin D’s effects on glucose metabolism, inflammation, and adipogenesis, while assessing its potential clinical applications in type 2 diabetes. In its 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 form, vitamin D modulates various metabolic processes, affecting proinflammatory cytokines and activating the AMPK pathway, inhibiting mTOR signaling, and promoting adipocyte differentiation. These effects enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce chronic inflammation, key contributors to metabolic dysfunction. In this context, the progression of prediabetes has been linked to vitamin D, which limits pathological progression and increases the likelihood of restoring a normal metabolic state, crucial in diabetes progression. Moreover, vitamin D has been reported to reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes by 15%, particularly in doses higher than the traditional recommendations for bone health. Despite promising evidence, discrepancies in study designs, serum vitamin D measurements, and population-specific factors highlight the need for standardized methodologies and personalized approaches. In conclusion, vitamin D has complementary therapeutic potential in treating type 2 diabetes, revealing gaps in research, such as optimal dosing and long-term effects across populations. Future studies should integrate molecular insights into clinical practice to optimize vitamin D’s impact on metabolic health.

Sarcopenia is a progressive age-related musculoskeletal disorder characterized by loss of muscle mass, strength, and physical performance, contributing to functional decline and increased risk of disability. Emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D (Vit D) plays a pivotal role in skeletal muscle physiology beyond its classical functions in bone metabolism. This review aims to critically analyze the relationship between serum Vit D levels and sarcopenia in older adults, focusing on pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnostic criteria, clinical evidence, and preventive strategies. An integrative narrative review of observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses published in the last decade was conducted. The analysis incorporated international diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia (EWGSOP2, AWGS, FNIH, IWGS), current guidelines for Vit D sufficiency, and molecular mechanisms related to Vit D receptor (VDR) signaling in muscle tissue. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are consistently associated with decreased muscle strength, reduced physical performance, and increased prevalence of sarcopenia. Although interventional trials using Vit D supplementation report variable results, benefits are more evident in individuals with baseline deficiency and when combined with protein intake and resistance training. Mechanistically, Vit D influences muscle health via genomic and non-genomic pathways, regulating calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory signaling. Vit D deficiency represents a modifiable risk factor for sarcopenia and functional impairment in older adults. While current evidence supports its role in muscular health, future high-quality trials are needed to establish optimal serum thresholds and dosing strategies for prevention and treatment. An individualized, multimodal approach involving supplementation, exercise, and nutritional optimization appears most promising.

Physical exercise is a potent non-pharmacological strategy for the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and certain cancers. Growing evidence demonstrates that the benefits of exercise extend beyond its physiological effects and are largely mediated by coordinated molecular and cellular adaptations. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the key mechanisms through which exercise modulates metabolic health, emphasizing intracellular signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation, and myokine-driven inter-organ communication. Exercise induces acute and chronic activation of pathways such as AMPK, PGC-1α, mTOR, MAPKs, and NF-κB, leading to enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis, improved oxidative capacity, refined energy sensing, and reduced inflammation. Additionally, repeated muscle contraction stimulates the release of myokines—including IL-6, irisin, BDNF, FGF21, apelin, and others—that act through endocrine and paracrine routes to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, insulin secretion, adipose tissue remodeling, neuroplasticity, and systemic inflammatory tone. Epigenetic modifications and exercise-responsive microRNAs further contribute to long-term metabolic reprogramming. Collectively, these molecular adaptations establish exercise as a systemic biological stimulus capable of restoring metabolic homeostasis and counteracting the pathophysiological processes underlying NCDs. Understanding these mechanisms provides a foundation for developing targeted, personalized exercise-based interventions in preventive and therapeutic medicine.

Objective: To describe the trend in incidence, mortality and Disability Adjusted Life Years of oral cancer in Latin America according to sex between 2000 and 2020. Methods: This ecological study extracted oral cancer information from 20 Latin American countries from the GBD-2020 database. Oral cancer burden was described by age-standardized rate (ASR) of incidence, mortality, and DALYs. The data was compared according to sex and countries. Trends (Average Annual Percentage Change-AAPC) were estimated for each indicator, sex, and country between 2000 and 2020 using Joint-point software. Results: Between 2000 and 2020, the highest incidence of oral cancer (ASR) occurred in Cuba (5.18), Brazil (4.38) and Uruguay (4.62). The countries with the highest mortality for both sexes were (ASR): Cuba (2.89), Brazil (2.71) and the Dominican Republic (2.58). The DALYs registered an average of 37.52 (Women: 22.39; Men: 52.62). The Dominican Republic reports increasing trends in incidence (AAPC: Men: 2.2; Women: 1.4), in mortality (AAPC: Men: 1.8; Women: 1.1), and in DALYs (AAPC: Men: 1.0; Women: 2.0). Costa Rica shows decreasing trends in men in incidence (AAPC: −1.3), mortality (AAPC: −1.6), and DALYs (AAPC: −1.8). Conclusion: Oral cancer shows increasing trends in: the incidence in both sexes in 10 countries, in mortality and DALYs in 6 countries, while the affectation between sexes does not show differences in trends.

Tissue biotypes are related to the results of periodontal therapy, conventional prosthodontics, implant therapy and root covering procedures. We conducted a systematic review (SR) of the literature about the relationship between the gingival biotype and the results of root covering surgical procedures. A PICO question was defined. Two independent reviewers conducted electronic and manual literature searches, which covered studies up to August 31, 2020, in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed MEDLINE), EBSCO, Science Direct and Cochrane. The inclusion criteria were all root covering procedures in individuals with different gingival biotypes. The final result of the different surgical techniques was evaluated by the Root Coverage Esthetic Score (RES). The Methodological Index for the identification of biases for Non-Randomized Studies was applied. Only four articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These studies adequately reported the percentage of root coverage after surgery, and two recorded the entire RES index. Complete root coverage was achieved in a range between 70 - 86.12% in patients with thin biotype and between 77.8 - 96% in patients with a thick biotype. The aesthetic results were not compromised by the initial classification of the biotype. The treatments used were subepithelial connective tissue graft with coronally displaced flap or its modification. No significant differences were found. When the gingival biotypes are analyzed as independent variables, none of the root coverage procedures are affected by the classification of the gingival biotype. Key words:Root coverage, gingival recession, gingival biotype.