Year-round vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to investigate vitamin D status among female out-patients in Saudi Arabia during the summer and winter seasons.


METHODS
Data were retrospectively collected using medical record abstraction.


METHODS
A multidisciplinary hospital in Riyadh between January and December 2009.


METHODS
Saudi females (age ≥19 years; n 1556) attending out-patient clinics for various complaints comprised the studied population. The population was subdivided into two groups depending on the date of their visit where blood samples were collected: summer (n 659) and winter groups (n 897). The summer group was further subdivided into premenopausal (age 19-49 years; n 425) and postmenopausal subgroups (age ≥50 years; n 234). Similarly, the winter group was subdivided into premenopausal (n 543) and postmenopausal subgroups (n 354). Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured using HPLC.


RESULTS
The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/l) was high in both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups (80 % and 68 %, respectively) during the summer, as well as during the winter (85 % and 76 %, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients was observed throughout the year despite the routine supplementation with 10-20 μg vitamin D3 for postmenopausal women. Clinicians should seriously consider determining the vitamin D status of Saudi females routinely and prescribing them proper supplementation.
College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box 2490, Riyadh, Mail code 3129/Postal Code 11426, Saudi Arabia. kananr@ksau-hs.edu.sa
Raed M
RM
Kanan
Yousef M
YM
Al Saleh
Hana M
HM
Fakhoury
Maysoon
M
Adham
Saleh
S
Aljaser
Waleed
W
Tamimi
D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D