title: Vitamin D deficiency in elderly patients in a general hospital.
abstract: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels were measured in 338 elderly patients admitted to the Geriatric Medicine Departments of a general hospital in Israel in the course of one year. The mean (+/- SD) serum 25-OHD levels were significantly lower (P less than .01) in the elderly patients (13.5 +/- 8.9 ng/mL) than in healthy young controls (24.7 +/- 6.1 ng/mL). One hundred ten patients (35.5%) were either vitamin D deficient (25-OHD less than 5 ng/mL) or had borderline serum levels of 25-OHD (5-9 ng/mL). The mean (+/- SD) serum 25-OHD concentration of patients who were completely mobile before hospitalization was 15.5 +/- 8.8 ng/mL (n = 239). In patients mainly immobilized but able to leave the house occasionally, it was 10.2 +/- 6.3 ng/mL (n = 84) and of bed-ridden patients, it was 5.2 +/- 3.2 ng/mL (n = 15). No correlation was found between serum 25-OHD levels and the patients' age or serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin values. Thus, in order to detect vitamin D deficiency in the elderly, it is necessary to measure serum 25-OHD concentration. The results demonstrate that vitamin D deficiency is common among elderly patients even in sunny climates and indicate the need for development of effective programs of prevention and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ichilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldray
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mizrahi-Sasson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Merdler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edelstein-Singer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Algoetti
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jaccard
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Weisman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D002112:Calcifediol