Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2012) 30 P9

BSPED2012 Poster Presentations (1) (66 abstracts)

Vitamin D trending: trends in vitamin D status, measurement and prescribing in Northern England, 2002–2011

Lucy Baggott 1 , Stewart Pattman 2 , Tim Cheetham 1 & Akash Sinha 1


1Newcastle University, Newcastle upon tyne, UK; 2Newcastle University Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle upon tyne, UK.


Introduction: The vitamin D (25OHD) status of a population will reflect genetic and environmental factors. We evaluated all 25OHD assays undertaken at a regional centre in an area at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, over a 10 year period on the basis that this would provide insight into annual, seasonal and age based trends in 25OHD status. We planned to correlate vitamin D measurement with trends in vitamin D prescribing.

Methods: Data (66 694 samples) from a 10 year period (2002–2011) were collected from the regional biochemistry department. Age, gender, month of sampling and 25OHD status were obtained and the average sunshine hours/month for Northern England obtained via the Meteorological Office. Local prescribing data were obtained from the pharmacy department. Regression and time series analyses were performed.

Results: There was a near ten-fold increase in 25OHD assay requests from 2170 (2002) to 19 954 (2011) and a concomitant rise in prescriptions. This pattern also applied to the paediatric population (P<0.01). 25OHD levels fell year by year despite the change in vitamin D prescriptions. Seasonal analysis showed peak vitamin D levels from Jul to Aug and nadir levels from Jan to Mar. There was a significant relationship between mean 25OHD levels and mean sunshine hours (r=0.51, P<0.01). In the 0–20 year group there was a decrease in 25OHD levels with age with a nadir at 13–17 years (ANOVA, P<0.01).

Conclusions: The number of vitamin D analyses and prescriptions has increased steadily over the last decade. Vitamin D levels in the population follow a seasonal trend which is strongly dependent on sunlight exposure. There has been a downward trend in 25OHD levels which could reflect several factors including increased testing in a rising ethnic minority population. Vitamin D levels fall from birth with a nadir during puberty, possibly due to the increased conversion of 25OHD to 1,25OHD to meet increased skeletal demands.

Volume 30

40th Meeting of the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes 

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