Vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone concentrations in Chinese women and men from north-east of the People's Republic of China.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate vitamin D status of young and old women and men living in Shenyang, north-east People's Republic of China in early spring and to explore the relationship between vitamin D metabolites and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in this population.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Shenyang, north-east China.


METHODS
194 healthy volunteers: 48 young women and 48 young men aged 25-35 y, and 48 old women and 50 old men aged 65-75 y.


RESULTS
Fasting blood samples were used to measure plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) and PTH using radioimmunoassays. The proportion of subjects who could be regarded as vitamin D deficient (<25 nmol/l) was 48%, 29%, 15% and 13% for old men, young men, old women and young women, respectively. There was no association between plasma 1,25(OH)2D and 25(OH)D concentrations. PTH concentrations were elevated in both old women and men compared with young subjects (P<0.01). A negative association between PTH and 25(OH)D was only found in old women (P<0. 001), but not in old men, nor in young subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin D status was poor in this population in early spring, especially in men. There was no clear evidence to show that the secretion of PTH and the conversion of 1,25(OH)2D were affected by the low 25(OH)D concentration.


BACKGROUND
Partly supported by the Sandoz Foundation for Gerontological Research and the Nestlé Foundation, Switzerland, and Medical Research Council, UK. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 68-72
Yan
L
L
Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, UK. Liya.Yan@mcr-hnr.cam.ac.uk
Prentice
A
A
Zhang
H
H
Wang
X
X
Stirling
D M
DM
Golden
M M
MM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D014505:Urban Population; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D