Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Extremely low levels of vitamin D usually include levels < 4 ng/ml, which is almost the same as undetectable. The risk groups for vitamin D deficiency have been identified, but do they allow such patients to be identified based solely on clinical presentation.

Objective: To identify risk factors and their actual clinical determination in patients with 25(OH)D serum levels <4 ng/ml.

Materials and methods: The study included electronic medical record information of 72 individuals (mean age 43 ± 3, 59 women and13 men) with a vitamin D level of < 4 ng/ml found among 5449 patients (1,3%) tested in 2019. Total 25(OH)D was determined using the immunochemiluminescent method. The laboratory participates in the DEQAS program.

Results: No clinical information was available for 20 patients so they were excluded from further analysis. Of the clinical risk factors among the rest 52 patients: 0 – had a dark skin tone, 0 had liver failure, 0 were pregnant, 13 – BMI more than 30 kg/m², 12 had diseases of bones or complaints of diffuse bone pain, 6 – GFR less than 60 ml/ml, 5 – primary hyperparathyroidism, 5 patients took drugs that distirb the metabolism/absorption of vitamin D. Nineteen of 52 (37%) patients did not have any risk factor for vitamin D deficiency according to their medical record.

Conclusions: Clinical evaluation of risk factors for vitamin D deficiency does not allow to correctly identify such patientswhich may necessitate thereview of the predisposing factors or be the basis for a wider biochemical screening.