Blood vitamin D levels in a sample population from Eastern India: a pilot study

Abstract

Background : Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has been found to be highly prevalent in the general population in recent times. Especially, in tropical countries like India, this deficiency state is very common. Although studies from different parts of India have documented high prevalence of VDD in the population, such studies are very rare from Eastern India. We therefore undertook this pilot study to document the vitamin D status of a sample Eastern Indian population. Patients and methods : this was a hospital based observational cross-sectional epidemiological study. Adult patients coming to the medicine indoor and/or outdoors of a tertiary care medical college were screened and included in the study. Patients with liver disease, kidney disease or malabsorption syndromes were excluded. Blood vitamin D (25-OH Vitamin D) was assessed by CMIA (ChemiluminescentMicroparticle Immunoassay) according to Vitamin D standardization program. Standard statistical methods were used. Results and analysis : We had a total of 80 patients in our study. The male: female ratio was 3:7. 69% of the study population belonged to middle age group (3060 years). In all age groups except under20 year group, females outnumbered males. 47.5% of the subjects (n=38) had frank vitamin D deficiency (?20 ng/ml), 40% had vitamin D in the insufficient range (>2030 ng/ml). Female subjects had more prevalence of VDD with 53% having frank VDD and 39% having insufficiency. In the male subset (n=24), 75% (n=18) had either VDD or insufficiency. The 3040 year age group had the highest prevalence of VDD (58.8%); 50% of subjects above 60 years of age had frank VDD. Conclusion : VDD is highly prevalent in the Eastern Indian population. Certain sections of the population like females and middle aged adults are more susceptible to this problem.