Prevalence of low serum vitamin D concentration in an urban population of elderly women in Poland.
BACKGROUND
So far only scarce data have been published regarding serum vitamin D concentrations in elderly women in Poland.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to assess prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a population of women aged 60 to 90 years and living in Warsaw.


METHODS
The study comprised 274 women from the general population (mean age 69.1 -/+5.7 years, body mass index [BMI] 28.9 -/+4.6 kg/m2, serum creatinine concentration 0.7 -/+0.12 mg/dl). Subjects who had been treated with glucocorticoids or antifracture drugs, or supplemented with vitamin D or calcium, were excluded. The study was conducted in winter. Serum vitamin D, calcium, phosphate, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations were measured.


RESULTS
The mean vitamin D concentration was 13.6 ng/ml in the whole examined population. Vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml were detected in 4% of subjects. Vitamin D insufficiency (20-30 ng/ml) was found in 12.8% of subjects, and its deficiency (<20 ng/ml) in 83.2% of subjects. Vitamin D concentrations in women under and over 70 years of age did not differ significantly. There were no associations of vitamin D concentrations with age, BMI, renal function, or serum calcium concentrations. However, we observed a significant inverse correlation between vitamin D concentrations and PTH.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of low vitamin D concentrations in an urban population of elderly women in Poland is very high. Lower vitamin D levels are associated with a higher PTH concentration.
Napiórkowska
Luiza
L
Department of Internal Diseases, Endocrinology and Diabetology, Central Clinical Hospital, Ministry of the Interiror and Administration, Warszawa, Poland.
Budlewski
Tadeusz
T
Jakubas-Kwiatkowska
Wioletta
W
Hamzy
Violeta
V
Gozdowski
Dariusz
D
Franek
Edward
E
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016387:Women's Health
D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium