title: [High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in medical students in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D deficiency has been described in many diseases and indeed in the general population. However fewer reports have been published in young and healthy people. Vitamin D deficiency should not be found in medical students of the Canary Islands, because they have all the resources to avoid it.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a population of medical students of both gender from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
  
  
  METHODS
  103 medical students of both genders from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. They completed a questionnaire and a physical examination. Vitamin D (25- hydroxycholecalciferol [25-HCC]), parathyroid hormone, biochemical markers of bone remodeling and a general biochemical study were performed. Bone mineral density was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine and the proximal femur. Quantitative ultrasounds parameters were measured at the calcaneus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 38.8% of the students of Medicine (42.1% of males and 44.9% of females) have 25-HCC values higher than 30 ng/dl as widely recommended nowadays. Vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/ml) is observed in 32.6% and vitamin D insufficiency (< 30 ng/ml) in 28.6% of the students of Medicine in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although they have optimal conditions for having good levels of vitamin D, near two thirds of the medical students in the Canaries have low values of vitamin D.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación en Osteoporosis y Metabolismo Mineral, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, España.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Padilla
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soria López
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García-Santana
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirallave-Pescador
authors.forename: María del Val
authors.initials: Mdel V
authors.lastname: Groba Marco
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Quesada Gómez
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sosa Henríquez
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D001266:Atlantic Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D015519:Bone Density; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D002112:Calcifediol