Biotech Values

[genisi]

Suprising numbers of russians in the study, but perhaps that reflects hep c patient mix in israel

It does at least according to a study done by the very same author - Dr. Abu-Mouch in the hospital he works for - Hillel Yaffe Medical Center (prevalence was more than 3 times higher in Russian origin subjects).

If the russians in the study are recent immigrants (which i assume they are)

Don't think they are. First of, the last wave of immigration from Russia to Israel was in the early 90s. Second, hypovitaminosis D is very common among all Israelis, not just new Russian immigrants, dark skin, elderly, or religious people. Also, as vitamin D metabolism involves the liver, there's a very high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in chronic liver diseases. I think the Russian origin point has more to do with skin color than of recent or old immigrants.
Btw, Dr. Abu-Mouch presented early data (RVR, EVR) from this work already at AASLD 2009 and full data at EASL 2010.