title: The Association of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Status in Patients with Osteoarthritis in the Primary Care Office.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and osteoarthritis (OA) are commonly found in patients followed up in a primary care office. Clear evidence to support the link between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and OA is lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status in patients with OA in the primary care office.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the records of 1,455 patients seen in our primary care office between November 2013 and October 2014. All patients were older than 18 years and had a diagnosis of OA. Demographic characteristics as well as 25(OH)D levels and comorbidities were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of 25(OH)D were available in 1,222 patients with OA. Fifty-one percent of the patients had a low 25(OH)D level. Patients with OA and low 25(OH)D were on an average 5 years younger than patients with OA and normal 25(OH)D (P < 0.001). African Americans (71.7%) and Hispanics (63.1%) had a higher prevalence of low 25(OH)D compared to Whites (42.9%) and other races (49.1%) (P < 0.001). There were significantly more smokers (15.4%) and patients with type 2 diabetes (27.6%) in the group of patients with osteoarthritis and low 25(OH)D (P < 0.001). A lower prevalence of hypothyroidism (18.5% versus 27.4%) and higher body mass index (BMI) were also noted in the group of interest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with low levels of 25(OH)D and OA are younger than their counterparts with low 25(OH)D level. Future studies are needed to clarify the relationship between 25(OH)D level and OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Krysta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Contino
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Akshar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Eben Eno
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Mbei
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Satyajeet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Cooper Research Institute, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Krystal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Shivani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gandhi
keywords: Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D]; osteoarthritis (OA); primary care office