Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency risk factors and the level of 25(OH)D in healthy volunteers
Kezhun L.V., Yakubova L.V.
Educational Institution “Grodno State Medical University”, Grodno, Belarus
Objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of risk factors for vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency and plasma levels of 25(OH)D in young healthy volunteers.
Table 1: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency risk factors in healthy volunteers.
Material and methods
A total of 137 healthy volunteers were examined; the average age was 20 (20; 21) years, of these 33.6% (n=46) were young men and 66.4% (n=91) were girls. A questionnaire survey method was used to identify risk factors for vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency: exposure to sunlight in the summer months and/or visits to the solarium, the use of sunscreens, intake of vitamin D-containing drugs, consumption of products containing vitamin D. The level of 25(OH) D in plasma was determined by the enzyme immunoassay. Statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out using the program “STATISTICA 10.0”.
Table 1: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency risk factors in healthy volunteers.
Results
The results of the questionnaire (see table 1) revealed a low adherence of the subjects to sunbathing which amounted to 81%; non-visits to the solarium -98.9%; insufficient intake of preparations containing vitamin D -92.7%. The incidence of risk factors for the development of vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency in young men and girls did not differ (p≥0.05). Moreover, the girls used sunscreen more often (p≤0.05) as compared to the young men (26.4% versus 4.3%, respectively).
Fig. 1: Prevalence of deficiency, insufficiency and optimal level of 25(OH)D in blood plasma in healthy volunteers.
The level of 25(OH)D in the blood plasma of healthy volunteers averaged 23.0 (21.1; 26.8) ng / ml, and was optimal in 16.8% of the examined subjects. 25(OH)D insufficiency was revealed in 72.3% and deficiency in 10.9% of the subjects. The level of 25(OH)D in blood plasma was higher (p0.05) in young men (25.7 (24.7; 26.9) ng / ml) as compared with girls (21.8 (20.9; 24.2) ng / ml). However, no differences were found (p> 0.05) according to the ratio of the optimal level of 25(OH)D in the blood plasma detected in girls (16.5%) and young men (17.4%); 25(OH)D insufficiency (71.4% of girls and 73.9% of young men); 25(OH)D deficiency (12.1% of girls and 8.7% of young men).
Conclusion
A high prevalence of risk factors for vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency as well as 25(OH)D level in young healthy volunteers was revealed, which amounted to 80% and 83.2%, respectively.
Source: Published as abstract in „Osteoporosis International“.
Associate Professor Liudmila Kezhun
Candidate of Medical Sciences
of the Department of General
Medical Practice and Polyclinic
Therapy, State Medical University
Grodno, Belarus
E-Mail: kezhun.liudmila@yandex.by
