Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) endocrine system acts as an essential nutrient for bone development, maintenance, and many other extra-skeletal activities. However, in RCTs like VITAL, ViDA, D2d, etc. [1, 2, 3]. The causal links were not found. Its deficiency is a global health concern, with growing evidence of its high prevalence in sunshine-rich nations due to cultural and lifestyle factors.

Objective: To determine the status of 25OHD by identifying associated demographic, clinical, and lifestyle risk factors in a large Oman cohort presenting for a routine health check-up from 1^stJanuary, 2024, to 31^stDecember, 2024.

Methods: This cohort study named The SALAMA-D recruited 1700 consecutive participants aged 12-79 years who underwent a comprehensive health screening at two branches of Al-Salama Medical Center in Muscat, Oman. Serum 25OHD levels were measured among 67 other parameters of blood and urine. Deficiency was defined as 25OHD < 20 ng/mL, insufficiency as 21-29 ng/mL, and sufficiency as ≥30 ng/mL. Data on demographics, comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, anaemia, thyroid profile, and lifestyle factors, including sun exposure and diet, were collected via structured questionnaires.

Results: The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was 90.1%. A striking 68% of the cohort were women, who exhibited significantly lower mean 25OHD levels (15.2±6.1 ng/mL) compared to men (21.8±7.5 ng/mL, P < 0.001). The age group 30-50 years was most affected. A strong association was found with comorbidities: 72% of deficient / insufficient participants had at least one of diabetes, hypertension, anaemia, or dyslipidemia. The primary self-reported causes were avoidance of sun exposure (90% reported) and inadequate dietary vitamin D intake (82%).

Conclusion: The SALAMA-D study reveals an alarmingly high prevalence of low vitamin D in Oman. A national public health strategy promoting safe sun exposure and food fortification is urgently needed.