Abstract
Vitamin D is essential for our health. It plays a crucial role in bone mineralization through calcium and phosphate metabolism. Abnormal levels of vitamin D are linked to a group of different diseases, such as rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults, muscle problems, malfunctioning of the immune system, etc. From previous studies on vitamin D status in the Albanian population, has resulted that vitamin D levels are low to insufficient, although Albania is a sunny country. Taking into consideration this fact, this paper aims to assess the situation of vitamin D in a group of adult individuals, randomly selected in the district of Tirana. Vitamin D status is studied and evaluated based on the comparison of two randomly selected groups, in a difference of time for a decade (from 2009-2010 to 2019-2020). Data analysis is based on the comparison of vitamin D levels between genders and different age groups, as well as on the comparison of vitamin D level between healthy individuals and those with parathyroid problems. For the purpose of this study, a 10 ml fasting blood sample was collected in pre-chilled tubes from each subject and has been analyzed based on an immunoenzymatic method, using ELFA (Enzyme-Linked Floureshence Assay) technique, by VIDAS system. Further statistical analysis of the data collected is done by SPPS 20 program for windows. Comparing the findings of this study with those from the previous studies, as a conclusion we can say that the situation of vitamin D level appears improved to the previous years, but still the level of insufficiency is high.
Highlights
Vitamin D is a fat soluble organic compound, acting like a hormone and playing a crucial role in calcium and phosphate homeostasis in the human body
After all, taking into consideration the undisputed effect of sun exposure in vitamin D synthesis and the fact that Albania is a country with an average of 300 hundred sunny days, this paper aims the assessment of vitamin D status and its relationship with age, gender and parathyroid hormone, in a compared way between two groups of adult individuals, randomly selected in the district of Tirana in two different periods of time; the first group from 2009-2010 and the second one from 2019-2020
With a favorable geographical position in the Mediterranean basin, has very favorable climatic conditions for the use of solar radiation. As it is mentioned in many studies, sun exposure and solar radiation is the main source of vitamin D synthesis in our body through a cascade of reactions that begin in the skin
Summary
Vitamin D is a fat soluble organic compound, acting like a hormone and playing a crucial role in calcium and phosphate homeostasis in the human body. Vitamin D and its' metabolites are a crucial part of the endocrine system that controls whole body calcium homeostasis. The goal of this hormonal control is to regulate serum calcium levels so that they are maintained within a very narrow range. Both vitamin D and parathyroid hormone are essential in calcium metabolism. Vitamin D comes in two forms (D2 and D3) which differ chemically in their side chains These structural differences alter their binding to the carrier protein vitamin D binding protein (DBP) and their metabolism, but in general the biologic activity of their active metabolites is comparable (Bikle, 2017). Its synthesis and its metabolites, their transport and elimination as well as action on transcriptional regulation involves the harmonic
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