High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in north Indian adults is exacerbated in those with chronic kidney disease.
OBJECTIVE
Vitamin D is being increasingly recognized as an important player in disease. Hypovitaminosis D is widespread in chronic kidney disease (CKD) populations around the world. The vitamin D status of Indian CKD patients is not known.


METHODS
Levels of 25(OH) vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were measured in adult north Indian male patients with newly diagnosed stage IV-V CKD and matched control subjects drawn from the same population. A total of 100 (34 stage IV and 66 stage V) patients with CKD and 72 controls were studied.


RESULTS
Only 4% control and 1% of CKD subjects had normal (>30 ng/mL) vitamin D levels. Approximately 68% of control and 77% of the CKD population had vitamin D deficiency (<15 ng/ml) whereas the remaining 38% control and 22% CKD patients had insufficient (15-30 ng/mL) vitamin D levels. Levels were lower in CKD subjects compared to their family members, and the CKD patients were significantly more likely to have severe vitamin D deficiency (<5 ng/mL). A strong negative correlation was noted between vitamin D and PTH. No significant correlation was found between vitamin D levels and body mass index, bodyfat percentage, serum albumin or calcium levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in north Indians, and this is more pronounced in CKD subjects. There is a significant inverse correlation between the vitamin D and PTH levels. The clinical significance of this deficiency and the potential benefits to be derived from vitamin D supplementation in this population merits further studies.
Jabbar
Zulfikar
Z
Department of Nephrology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Aggarwal
Pardeep K
PK
Chandel
Nirupama
N
Kohli
Harbir S
HS
Gupta
Krishan L
KL
Sakhuja
Vinay
V
Jha
Vivekanand
V
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D015995:Prevalence; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D