title: Association between 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D and volumetric breast density via a fully automated software Volpara™ in the reproductive age group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels and percent breast density among asymptomatic premenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hundred asymptomatic, pre-menopausal women who visited the General Surgery Breast Clinic, Patel Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan between 3rd March and 10th November, 2015 were included in this study. The serum 25 (OH)D and calcium levels were measured and mammographic density (MD) was assessed using automated volumetric breast density software, Volpara Research (algorithm version 1.5.1, Volpara solutions Ltd, Wellington, NZ) on the same day. The volumetric breast density (VBD) was categorized as; VG1: 0% - 4.5 %; VG2: 4.6% - 7.5%; VG3: 7.6% - 15.5% and VG4 >15.5%. Mean serum 25(OH)D and calcium levels were compared across the four volumetric breast density categories. The percent volumetric density was also correlated with anthropometric measurements and other related variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was found in mean serum 25 (OH)D level across the four groups (15.87 Vs. 12.40 Vs. 8.99 Vs. 9.68; p-value = 0.106). The percent VBD were found significantly negatively correlated with age (r = - 0.365; p-value = 0.001), weight (r = - 0.575; p-value = 0.001), height (r = - 0.197; p-value = 0.049), and BMI (r = - 0.519; p-value = 0.001). The serum Vitamin D, and calcium levels were not found significantly correlated with percent VBD (p-value > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant association exists between serum 25(OH)D level and breast density.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Bushra Wasim, MBBS, FCPS. Professor of Anatomy, Ziauddin University, Clifton Campus, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wasim
authors.affiliation: Dr. Khalid M. Khan, PhD. Professor, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Dr. Muhammad Abdul Samad, Msc. International Health (Aberdeen) Research Associate, Shaheen Research Group, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mohd Abdul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Samad
keywords: 25(OH)D; Breast Cancer; Volpara; breast density; mammographic density; premenopausal