Background: Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate. Vitamin D is a major player in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. In humans, the most important compounds of vitamin D are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Most of the vitamin D3 is synthesized in skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet B rays from sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children. Deficiency of vitamin D results in impaired bone mineralization and bone damage, which leads to bone-softening diseases.
Objective: To find out the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in well socioeconomic population of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, carried out among the higher socioeconomic populations of various age and sex in Ahmedabad City, Gujarat, India. In this study, all the 444 subjects included were tested for serum 25(OH)D level by the electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) method using an automated clinical chemistry analyzer (Elecsys 2010; Roche Diagnostics).
Results: In this study, majority (46.4%) of the subjects were severely deficient, while 39.9% were moderately deficient. Hence, more than 85% of the subjects were moderate to severely deficient.
Conclusion: Serum vitamin D level estimation must be done in health-care management of skeletal disorders and nutritional review status. Serum 25(OH)D is the best measure of vitamin D exposure indicating both the effects of diet and sunlight. Severity of vitamin D deficiency also increases with the age.
Key words: Cholecalciferol, vitamin D3, 25(OH)D
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