Vitamin D concentrations in an UK inner-city multicultural outpatient population.
BACKGROUND
Vitamin D deficiency is still thought to be widespread in the UK and in recent years the number of cases of rickets reported in children has increased. In this study, the distribution of vitamin D and the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency have been determined for a multi-ethnic population from the inner-city area of Birmingham, UK, where a vitamin D testing service has been readily available for over 10 years.


METHODS
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was determined using an automated platform (Nichol's Advantage Speciality System) for 830 outpatient samples collected randomly at the end of summer (September).


RESULTS
In our total study population, prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, defined as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 10 microg/L, was high (24%): one in eight Caucasians, one in four Black Afro-Caribbeans and one in three Asians were found to be deficient. Levels of deficiency were much higher in Asian women, with almost one in two individuals (43%) found to have a vitamin D level below 10 microg/L.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study has shown that widespread vitamin D deficiency in a UK inner-city population remains an issue. In concordance with other studies, we found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Afro-Caribbean and Asians, and, in particular, women. It is clear that more routine screening of vitamin D is needed.
Ford
Loretta
L
Clinical Biochemistry Department, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK. Loretta.Ford@swbh.nhs.uk
Graham
Valerie
V
Wall
Alan
A
Berg
Jonathan
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D