title: High prevalence of undetected vitamin D deficiency in an urban minority primary care practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients in an inner-city practice with a large African American population, and to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D replacement as part of routine care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A chart review was undertaken to identify patients aged 18 years and more with at least one 25-hydroxyvitamin D level. When patients were found to be deficient (vitamin D < 20) they were placed on 50000 units ergocalciferol monthly or over-the-counter calcium supplements with vitamin D. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the prevalence rate, and paired t tests were used to compare the vitamin D levels pre and post treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 369 (65%) out of 570 patients were found to be vitamin D deficient, and 253 were treated with ergocalciferol or vitamin D supplements. For patients deficient at baseline and treated with vitamin D supplementation (n = 253), significant differences were found between baseline and follow-up vitamin D levels (t(1,120) = 11.56, p < .001). Among 253 patients deficient at baseline and treated, 201 were corrected with oral vitamin D (79%), leaving 52 patients (21%) deficient after vitamin D supplementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that there is a very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in an urban, mostly African American population. This can be readily improved with the addition of oral vitamin D. The study also suggests that routine vitamin D screening may be helpful for the detection and treatment of vitamin D deficiency, especially in urban minority populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, NY 14215, USA. Iskahn@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: Nikhil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Satchidanand
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kopparapu
authors.forename: Winston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yale
authors.forename: Chester H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014505:Urban Population; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D004872:Ergocalciferols; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium