A spectrum of non–skeletal diseases in the vitamin D deficient population of West Bengal

Dr. Rinini Dastidar; Miss. Tirna Halder

Volume : VIII, Issue : I, January - 2018

A spectrum of non–skeletal diseases in the vitamin D deficient population of West Bengal

Dr. Rinini Dastidar, Miss. Tirna Halder

Abstract :

Background: The extra osseous role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of an array of several diseases like diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroid, CKD, CVD, cancer, autoimmune diseases have been in focus in the recent years. Keeping in compliance with the worldwide trend of vitamin D deficiency, various reports suggest 50–90% deficiency of vitamin D among Indians. Vitamin D receptors have been found in the tissues of east, colon, lungs, immune cells which strongly indicates it as a predisposing factor for the associated diseases. The retrospective study focuses on the prevalence of various non–skeletal diseases in a large cohort of vitamin D deficient population of West Bengal.

Materials: A total of 1933 patients were included in the study from OPD and IPD of RKMSP from Jan 2014 to Aug 2015. Patient details were obtained from the medical records section.

Results: 83.2% (1609/1933) patients were observed to be vitamin D deficient. Among them 247 patients had T2DM, 291 patients shows hypertension and 406 were found to be hypothyroids with mean vitamin D 12.5, 12.1 and 13.2 ng/ml respectively indicating severe vitamin D deficiency. Excluding these three prevalence of other sixteen major diseases were observed in this population accompanied with severe/insufficient vitamin D deficiency.

Conclusions: The protective role of vitamin D in non–skeletal and metabolic diseases should be highlighted in the awareness programs on serious consequences of asymptomatic vitamin D deficiency among all sections of the society including clinicians. The need of the hour is to initiate mass screening of vitamin D deficiency at the government level and supplementation via medication or vitamin D fortified food wherever it is required in order to prevent or delay the fatal outcome of it.