Prevalence Rate Of Vitamin Research Articles

The low prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency in urban adults of Wuhan from central China: findings from a single-center, cross-sectional study

BackgroundVitamin E is an essential nutrient in human body famous for its antioxidant and non-antioxidant functions. However, little is known about vitamin E deficiency status in urban adults of Wuhan from central China. Our aim is to describe the distribution of both circulating and lipid-adjusted serum vitamin E concentration in urban adults of Wuhan.MethodsWe hypothesized that the prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency would be low in Wuhan in consideration of the Chinese food composition. A cross-sectional study with 846 adults was performed in a single-center. Concentrations of vitamin E were measured by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS).ResultsThe median (interquartile range, IQR) of serum vitamin E concentration was 27.40 (22.89–33.20) μmol/L while that of serum vitamin E concentration adjusted by total cholesterol or the sum of cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) (the sum of cholesterol and triglyceride, TLs) were 6.20 (5.30–7.48) and 4.86 (4.10–5.65) mmol/mol, respectively. No significant difference of the circulating and TC-adjusted vitamin E concentration was found between male and female except for vitamin E/TLs. However, concentrations of vitamin E increased significantly (r = 0.137, P < 0.001) with age, but lipid-adjusted concentrations of vitamin E did not. On analysis of risk factors, the subjects characterized by hypercholesterolemia are more likely to exhibit higher circulating but lower lipid-adjusted vitamin E level due to adequacy of the serum carriers for delivery of vitamin E. Only 0.47% of the population were below 12 μmol/L of vitamin E defined as functional deficiency.ConclusionThe prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency in urban adults of Wuhan is low, which is important and useful to clinicians for clinical decision-making in public health practice.

Vitamin D status in a case series of Armenian population: one center cohort datA

Documenting the current status of vitamin D and its trends is one of goals of nutritional assessment and monitoring for the health agencies. The purpose of current study was to examine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in a case-series of Armenian population based on one center cohort data, and to reveal its association with season, age and sex. In 2018, 1525 patients were evaluated. Vitamin D insufficiency was defined as a serum 25-OH vitamin D concentration (25-OHD) &lt;20ng/ml. The season was detected as “sunny season” – from May to October inclusively, and “non-sunny” season – from November to April. All analyses were performed using statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0; IBM Corp., USA). Values of p&lt;0.05 were considered statistically significant. The male/female ratio of investigated patients was 1/2.5, and mean age was 35.14±17.66. No significant difference in vitamin D insufficiency prevalence was found between 3 age groups (p&gt;0.05). The average 25-OH vitamin D level of all investigated patients was 24.11±9.66. The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D insufficiency was 29.3% (n=447), having a significant link with the winter “non-sunny” season (p&lt;0.01), when the sun exposure on the skin is not enough, regardless the sex (p&gt;0.05). No correlation was found between 25-OHD insufficiency and age of patients (p&gt;0.05). In summary, we conclude that 25-OHD insufficiency is common in Armenian population and is linked with seasonal period. It is important, that health care providers and government health agencies in Armenia are aware of this prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and develop and re-evaluate over time the country-specific health policy and programs

Vitamin D status in a case series of Armenian population: one center cohort datA

Documenting the current status of vitamin D and its trends is one of goals of nutritional assessment and monitoring for the health agencies. The purpose of current study was to examine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in a case-series of Armenian population based on one center cohort data, and to reveal its association with season, age and sex. In 2018, 1525 patients were evaluated. Vitamin D insufficiency was defined as a serum 25-OH vitamin D concentration (25-OHD) &lt;20ng/ml. The season was detected as “sunny season” – from May to October inclusively, and “non-sunny” season – from November to April. All analyses were performed using statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0; IBM Corp., USA). Values of p&lt;0.05 were considered statistically significant. The male/female ratio of investigated patients was 1/2.5, and mean age was 35.14±17.66. No significant difference in vitamin D insufficiency prevalence was found between 3 age groups (p&gt;0.05). The average 25-OH vitamin D level of all investigated patients was 24.11±9.66. The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D insufficiency was 29.3% (n=447), having a significant link with the winter “non-sunny” season (p&lt;0.01), when the sun exposure on the skin is not enough, regardless the sex (p&gt;0.05). No correlation was found between 25-OHD insufficiency and age of patients (p&gt;0.05). In summary, we conclude that 25-OHD insufficiency is common in Armenian population and is linked with seasonal period. It is important, that health care providers and government health agencies in Armenia are aware of this prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and develop and re-evaluate over time the country-specific health policy and programs.

Recent Information on Vitamin D Deficiency in an Adult Korean Population Visiting Local Clinics and Hospitals.

We retrospectively reviewed serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) test results from an adult Korean population visiting local clinics and hospitals between July 2017 and December 2021 to gather recent information on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency status was investigated according to criteria offered by various clinical guidelines. During the study period, 180,289 subjects (29,658 men and 150,631 women) were tested for 25(OH)D. The overall prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency status based on 25(OH)D level were as follows: 0.4% for <5 ng/mL, 12.5% for <10 ng/mL, 20.6% for <12 ng/mL, 49.4% for <20 ng/mL, and <75.3% for <30 ng/mL. Women tested their 25(OH)D level more frequently than men, and the overall prevalence of 25(OH)D < 10 ng/mL was higher among women than men, while that of 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL was lower among women than men. Among age groups, the prevalence of 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL was higher in younger patients (20s–40s, 79.6–85.5%) than older ones (≥50 years, 62.6–69.2%). The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency decreased over time from 2018 to 2021. Future studies are needed to clarify the clinical impact of this change.

Vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity.

BackgroundAge, body mass index (BMI) and pre-existing comorbidities are known risk factors of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study we explore the relationship between vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, cross-sectional descriptive study. We enrolled 100 COVID-19 positive patients admitted to a tertiary level hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Fifty had symptomatic disease (COVID-19 pneumonia) and 50 who were asymptomatic (incidental diagnosis). Following written informed consent, patients were interviewed regarding age, gender and sunlight exposure during the past week, disease severity, BMI, calcium, albumin, magnesium and alkaline phosphatase levels. Finally, blood was collected for vitamin D measurement.ResultsWe found an 82% prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency among COVID-19 patients. Vitamin D levels were lower in the symptomatic group (18.1 ng/mL ± 8.1 ng/mL) than the asymptomatic group (25.9 ng/mL ± 7.1 ng/mL) with a p-value of 0.000. The relative risk of symptomatic COVID-19 was 2.5-fold higher among vitamin D deficient patients than vitamin D non-deficient patients (confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–3.26). Additional predictors of symptomatic disease were older age, hypocalcaemia and hypoalbuminaemia. Using multiple regression, the only independent predictors of COVID-19 severity were age and vitamin D levels. The patients exposed to less sunlight had a 2.39-fold increased risk for symptomatic disease compared to those with more sunlight exposure (CI: 1.32–4.33).ConclusionWe found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and an increased risk for symptomatic disease in vitamin D deficient patients.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Associated Factors among Female Migrants in the United Arab Emirates.

Vitamin D is important for bone health, and vitamin D deficiency could be linked to noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated risk factors among female migrants from Philippines, Arab, and South Asian countries residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We used a cross-sectional study to recruit a random sample (N = 550) of female migrants aged 18 years and over in the city of Al Ain, UAE. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations ≤20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L). We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency. The mean age of participants was 35 years (SD ± 10). The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 67% (95% CI 60–73%), with the highest rate seen in Arabs (87%), followed by South Asians (83%) and the lowest in Filipinas (15%). Multivariate analyses showed that low physical activity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.59; 95% CI 1.98, 10.63), having more than 5 years duration of residence in the UAE (aOR = 4.65; 95% CI: 1.31, 16.53) and being obese (aOR = 3.56; 95% CI 1.04, 12.20) were independently associated with vitamin D deficiency, after controlling for age and nationality. In summary, vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent among female migrants, especially Arabs and South Asians. It is crucial that health professionals in the UAE become aware of this situation among this vulnerable subpopulation and provide intervention strategies aiming to rectify vitamin D deficiency by focusing more on sun exposure, physical activity, and supplementation.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D correlates with systolic blood pressure in obese male schoolchildren.

Introduction: childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases. We aimed to examine the relation between serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and blood pressure in obese schoolchildren. Material and methods: a cross-sectional study in school-age children with obesity. The serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured and classified as sufficient or insufficient/deficient. Blood pressure was measured. Normal values were considered < 90th percentile, elevated blood pressure ≥ 90th to < 95th percentiles, and hypertension ≥ 95th percentile, according to blood pressure reference tables specific for age, sex, and height. A Pearson correlation was performed. Results: a total of 256 obese schoolchildren (123 [48.0 %] females and 133 [51.9 %] males) were evaluated. The prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were 23.4 %, 52.3 %, and 24.2 %, respectively. Normal blood pressure was observed in 101 (39.4 %) children; the frequencies of elevated blood pressure and hypertension were 10.9 % and 49.6 %, respectively. A moderate inverse correlation of 25(OH)D levels with systolic blood pressure levels (r = -0.54, p = 0.03) was observed. When analyzed by sex, a significantly high inverse correlation between 25(OH)D levels and systolic blood pressure was observed in males (r = -0.85 and p ≤ 0.001). No significant correlation was found in females (systolic r = -0.16 and p = 0.67; diastolic r = -0.15 and p = 0.812). When performing the multiple regression analysis, the 25(OH)D levels and BMI were the significant predictors for systolic blood pressure. Conclusions: we identified an inverse correlation between 25[OH]D levels and systolic blood pressure in male schoolchildren with obesity.

Analyzing the relationship between the vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 mortality rate and modeling the time-delay interactions between body's immune healthy cells, infected cells, and virus particles with the effect of vitamin D levels

This paper presents some recent views on the aspects of vitamin D levels in relation to the COVID-19 infections and analyzes the relationship between the prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 death rates per million of various countries in Europe and Asia using the data from the PubMed database. The paper also discusses a new mathematical model of time-delay interactions between the body's immune healthy cells, infected cells, and virus particles with the effect of vitamin D levels. The model can be used to monitor the timely progression of healthy immune cells with the effects of the levels of vitamin D and probiotics supplement. It also can help to predict when the infected cells and virus particles free state can ever be reached as time progresses. The consideration of the time delay in the modeling due to effects of the infected cells or virus particles and the growth of healthy cells is also an important factor that can significantly change the outcomes of the body's immune cells as well as the infections.

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Common in Ghana despite Abundance of Sunlight: A Multicentre Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Vitamin D is a steroid hormone important for the normal functioning of the body. It is produced through skin exposure to sunlight and from the diet. Although Ghana is located in the tropics where sunlight is abundant, factors like culture, diet, skin pigmentation, variation in the ozone layer, and geographical area influence the optimization of vitamin D concentration. It is imperative to evaluate the interplay between sunshine exposure, proinflammatory cytokines, and mediators of vitamin D metabolism and their relationship to vitamin D status in three geographical sections among apparent healthy Ghanaians. Methods and Results In a cross-sectional study, a total of five hundred (500) healthy blood donors from three geographical areas in Ghana were enrolled. Their age ranged from 17 to 55 years with a mean age of 27.97 ± 8.87 years. The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 43.6% (218/500), with 41.2% (91/221), 45.3% (63/139), and 45.7% (64/140) of vitamin D deficiency being recorded in participants from the Northern Sector (NS), Middle Belt (MB), and Southern Sector (SS), respectively. However, there were no significant differences in the proportions of vitamin D deficiency across various geographical sectors. The median 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels were compared among geographical areas (NS, MB, and SS) and there were no significant differences (P=0.275) after adjusting for confounding factors. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D correlated positively with corrected ionized calcium (rs = 0.622, P ≤ 0.001) and phosphorus (rs = 0.299, P ≤ 0.001) and negatively correlated with SBP (rs = −0.092, P=0.039), vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) (rs = −0.421, P ≤ 0.001), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (rs = −0.0568, rs ≤ 0.001), IFN-gamma (rs = −0.684, P ≤ 0.001), and TNF-alpha (rs = −0.600, P ≤ 0.001). After adjusting for possible confounders, not having knowledge about vitamin D foods, taking fewer vitamin D foods, and higher levels of IF-γ and IL-10 were associated with a higher risk of having vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is high among the general adult population in Ghana despite the abundance of sunlight. Increasing knowledge on vitamin D diet coupled with a daily intake of vitamin D dietary supplements is likely to reduce the risk of developing 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency.

Prevalence of and factors influencing vitamin D deficiency in paediatric patients diagnosed with cancer at northern latitudes.

To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among children with non-haematological malignancies and to explore possible causes of low vitamin D levels among these patients. We performed a cross-sectional study of 458 children diagnosed with solid tumours, brain tumours, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or Hodgkin disease at the University Children's Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels were measured in samples taken at the time of cancer diagnosis and related to clinical data. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D level below 50nmol/L. The prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency among children with non-haematological malignancies was 41%. There was no association between sex or diagnosis and vitamin D status. Vitamin D deficiency was more common among school children than preschool children (51% vs. 24%). Older age, season outside summer, and a more recent calendar year were significant predictors of lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D. There was a significant, albeit weak, negative correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone. Vitamin D deficiency is common among children diagnosed with cancer, particularly among school-aged children diagnosed outside summer. The prevalence appears to be increasing, underlining the need for adequate replacement of vitamin D in these patients.

Demographic Differences and Trends of Vitamin D Levels Among the Teenaged Girls in Balochistan.

BackgroundVitamin D is a vital micronutrient and plays a vital role in defining the bone mineral density of an individual. There are many factors that regulate the levels of vitamin D in our body. The deficiency in vitamin D leads to various complications, with the most important one weakening of bones. Adolescence defines the degree of bone mineral density, which reduces with the growing age in a gradual fashion.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional study conducted in Zarghoon town, Quetta, Pakistan. A sample size of 142 was taken from urban and rural areas. Participants were adolescent girls falling in the age bracket of 13-18 years. The circulating level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D was assessed using the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technique. Data were analyzed with SPSS Version 20 (IBM Corp.).ResultsOverall, vitamin D deficiency was 32.4%, and 9.9 % of girls were found to be severely deficient, where the highest proportion belonged to urban samples. The prevalence rate of vitamin D insufficiency was 39.4%. The urban population had a higher prevalence of low levels of vitamin D. In urban respondents, 49.1% had an insufficient vitamin D level, 33.3% had a deficient vitamin D level, and 17.5% had a severely deficient vitamin D level. In rural respondents, 47.1% had normal vitamin D levels, 32.9% had insufficient vitamin D levels, 15.3% were deficient, and 4.7% were severely deficient.ConclusionIt was concluded that vitamin D deficiency has a high prevalence among adolescent girls of school age. Additionally, it is more prevalent in urban areas than in rural areas.

Hypovitaminosis D and reduced cathelicidin are strongly correlated during the multidrug therapy against leprosy

Mycobacterium leprae infection depends on the competence of the host immune defense to induce effective protection against this intracellular pathogen. The present study investigated the serum levels of vitamin D and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, to determine the statistical correlation between them in leprosy patients before and post-six months of multidrug therapy (MDT), household contacts, and healthy individuals. Previous studies associated these molecules with high risks to develop mycobacterial diseases, such as tuberculosis and leprosy. A total of 34 leprosy patients [paucibacillary (n = 14), multibacillary (n = 20)], and 25 household contacts were recruited. Eighteen healthy adults were selected as a control group. Serum concentrations of vitamin D (25(OH)VD3) and cathelicidin were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, respectively. There were no significant differences in serum levels of 25(OH)VD3 between all groups, and the overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 67.1%. Cathelicidin levels were significantly lower in both untreated and treated patients when compared to controls and household contacts (p < 0.05). Strong correlations between hypovitaminosis D and reduced cathelicidin in untreated (r = 0.86) and post-six months of MDT (r = 0.79) leprosy patients were observed. These results suggest that vitamin D status and cathelicidin levels are strongly correlated during multidrug therapy for leprosy and nutritional supplementation from the beginning of treatment could strengthen the immune response against leprosy.

Low vitamin D status is associated with obesity but no other cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese children and adolescents

Background and aimsEvidence on relationship between vitamin D status and cardiovascular health in childhood remains inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate vitamin D status and its relationship with cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese children and adolescents. Methods and resultsCross-sectional data were obtained from 2680 children and adolescents aged 7-18 y in Guangzhou, South China. Anthropometric and socioeconomic characters, concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], fasting blood glucose and lipids, as well as information about diet and physical activity were measured and collected. Logistic regression model was adopted to analyze the associations between 25(OH)D levels and cardiovascular risk factors including obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and metabolic syndrome. Overall, median level of 25(OH)D was 19.74 ng/mL. The prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency and inadequacy were 7.5% and 44.4%, both of which were highest among adolescents aged 14-18 y (14.5% and 51.6%, respectively). As vitamin D level increased, an upward trend in fasting glucose concentrations was observed in subjects with normal fasting glucose level, but not in subjects with hyperglycemia. Among the assessed cardiovascular risk factors, vitamin D status was only inversely associated with general obesity, and the adjusted odds ratio was 1.95 (95% CI: 1.08–3.49), comparing the lowest 25(OH)D quartile with the highest one. ConclusionsVitamin D deficiency and inadequacy remain a concern among school-aged children and adolescents in Guangzhou, South China, particularly in adolescents aged 14-18 y. However, low vitamin D status was found only associated with general obesity but no other cardiovascular risk factors.

MON-383 A Study on the Oral Vitamin D Supplementary Treatment of Korean Children and Adolescents

Purpose: Between 2017 and 2018, the prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) among children and adolescents in Korea (single institution) was 68.4 percent (59.6 percent for males and 72.5 percent for females). However, effective vitamin D supplements are not consistent in literature. We tried to find out about the dosage and the duration of the administration. Methods: The study was conducted on 2,770 children aged 0-18 who tested serum vitamin D concentrations for outpatients and inpatients at our hospitals from August 2017 to July 2019. One group was treated with maintenance doses and the other group was treated with maintenance doses after oral vitamin D 2000 IU/d for six weeks. The maintenance dose was 400 IU/d before puberty and 1000 IU/d after puberty. Results: There was a significant correlation between serum 25(OH) vitamin D concentration and gender, age, season, weight SDS and BMI SDS (p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.002, respectively). After 6 months of oral Vitamin D treatment, serum 25 (OH) Vitamin D concentration was increased in both groups (p=0.000, p=0.000, respectively). In a group treated with maintenance doses after oral vitamin D 2000 IU/d for six weeks, it was found a higher rate of change to vitamin D sufficiency (p=0.000). Conclusions: The prevalence rate of VDD increases in female, older age, overweight and winter. The serum 25 (OH) vitamin D concentration increased in both groups after 6 months of treatment. In VDD children, It seemed appropriate to take an oral Vitamin D 2000 IU/day for 6 weeks before maintenance treatment according to the current guideline treatment.

Are α-tocopherol levels associated with improved glycaemia?

Background/objectiveLittle Research has been done to evaluate the vitamin E status in healthy Singaporean adults, and to examine the associations between vitamin E status, adiposity, metabolic disorders, and bone health. Subjects/methodsA total of 100 healthy Singaporeans (mean age 46.6 ± 13.1 years; 28% men) were recruited. Their serum Vitamin E, i.e. α- and γ-tocopherol, levels were measured by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with tandem mass spectrometry (LC MS/MS). ResultsThere was no significant difference in vitamin E levels between men and women. Moreover, no participants showed vitamin E deficiency and 38 of them have adequate α-tocopherol levels (>12.9 mg/L). An association was observed between serum vitamin E status and supplements usage. An association was also seen between α-tocopherol with FBG, TG, TC, and LDL-C; but no association was found between vitamin E levels, measures of obesity and bone health. ConclusionsOur results suggested that the prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency in Singapore was low. Circulating vitamin E levels were associated with glycaemia and lipid disorders. Therefore, vitamin E level could play a role in delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Vitamin D status among adults (18–65 years old) attending primary healthcare centres in Qatar: a cross-sectional analysis of the Electronic Medical Records for the year 2017

ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among individuals attending primary healthcare facilities in Qatar and to assess the association between vitamin D deficiency and some medical conditions in...

Vitamin D Insufficiency is a Risk Factor for Infertility: Case Control Study

Aim of the study: To study the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in infertile women and see its impact as a risk factor through a case control study. This case control study was conducted at Al-Diwaniyah maternity and child teaching hospital in Al-Diwaniyah province, Mid-Euphrates region of Iraq. The study started on February 2018 and extended through February 2019. The study included 52 apparently healthy and fertile women serving as control group and 35 infertile women serving as study group. The age ranges of control and study groups were 21–39 and 20–40 years, respectively. Venous sample was obtained from each woman and sent to the central laboratory of Al-Dewaniyah maternity and child teaching hospital to measure serum vitamin D level. Mean serum vitamin D of infertile women was lower than that of fertile women, 20.57 ± 8.69 ng/ml versus 24.85 ± 5.85 ng/ml, respectively and the difference was highly significant (P = 0.007). Moreover, the prevalence rate of vitamin D insufficiency (< 20 ng/ml) was significantly higher among infertile women in comparison with fertile women, 40% versus 19.2%, respectively (P = 0.035). Vitamin D appears as a risk factor for women infertility

The factors associated with Vitamin D deficiency in community dwelling elderly in Korea.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESRecent studies showed vitamin D deficiency is linked to chronic diseases in addition to skeletal metabolism which could threaten the elderly. We analyzed health conditions and socio-demographic factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in community dwelling people aged 65 years and older.SUBJECTS/METHODData from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2010 to 2012 were obtained. A total of 2,687 subjects aged 65 years and older were participated. The cutoff value of the Vitamin D deficiency was considered as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] ≤ 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L).RESULTSThe overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency in the elderly was 62.1%. The factors such as female, obesity, metabolic syndrome, current smoker, and skipping breakfast were positively associated with vitamin D deficiency, but high intensity of physical activity and more than 9 hours of sleep duration were negatively associated with vitamin D deficiency (all P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONSIt is important that health professions know that the factors proved in this study are connected to vitamin D deficiency thus provide information and intervention strategies of vitamin D deficiency to old aged people.

Vitamin D deficiency and morbimortality in critically ill paediatric patients

Abstract Objectives To determine the prevalence and risks factors of vitamin D deficiency, as well as its relationship with morbidity and mortality in a PICU. Materials and methods An observational prospective study in a tertiary children's University Hospital PICU conducted in two phases: I : Cohorts study, and II : prevalence study. The study included 340 critically ill children with ages comprising 6 months to 16 years old. Exclusion criteria: Chronic kidney disease, known parathyroid disorders, and vitamin D supplementation. Total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured in the first 48 h of admission to a PICU. Parathormone, calcium, phosphate, blood gases, blood count, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin were also analysed. A record was also made of demographic features, characteristics of the episode, and complications during the PICU stay. Results The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 43.8%, with a mean of 22.28 (95% CI 21.15–23.41) ng/mL. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were older (61 vs 47 months, P = 0.039), had parents with a higher level of academic studies (36.5% vs 20%, P = 0.016), were admitted more often in winter and spring, had a higher PRISM-III (6.8 vs 5.1, P = 0.037), a longer PICU stay (3 vs 2 days, P = 0.001), and higher morbidity (61.1% vs 30.4%, P P = 0.012). Adjusted OR for morbidity was 5.44 (95% CI; 2.5–11.6). Conclusions Vitamin D deficiency is frequent in critically ill children, and it is related to both morbidity and mortality, although it remains unclear whether it is a causal relationship or it is simply a marker of severity in different clinical situations.

Association between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular risk factors in obese children and adolescents.

Childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease. We aimed to determine the association between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular risks in obese children. The studied children were selected from obese children who were followed up at obesity clinic, aged 6-17 years. Basic demographic information and laboratory data were collected retrospectively from hospital records. A total of 310 students (178 [57.4%] girls) were evaluated for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH] D) levels in late winter/spring. The prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were 62.3%, 34.5%, and 3.2%, respectively. Insulin resistance was observed in 146 (47.1%) children; the frequencies of dyslipidemia and hypertension were 31% and 19.4%, respectively. The mean atherogenic dyslipidemia ratio was higher in the deficient group (p = 0.049). Inverse correlations of 25(OH) D levels were observed with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance values (r = -0.146, p = 0.010). The mean values of 25(OH) D (ng/mL) were lower in girls (12.15 ± 6.60) than in boys (16.48 ± 8.69) (p < 0.05) and in children with hypertension (11.92 ± 5.48) than in those without (14.50 ± 8.24) (p < 0.05). Vitamin D deficiency is observed more frequently than expected in obese children and adolescents. Our findings indicate that low 25(OH) D levels are associated with insulin resistance. Vitamin D deficiency could contribute to the morbidities associated with childhood obesity, such as insulin resistance or diabetes mellitus, increased cardiovascular/cardiometabolic risks, atherogenic dyslipidemia, and hypertension.