Survey of vitamin D levels among post-menopausal Filipino women with osteoporosis

• Published in: International journal of rheumatic diseases Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 225 - 229
• Main Authors: RASO, Anne-Annette P., NAVARRA, Sandra V., LI-YU, Julie, TORRALBA, Tito P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2009
• Subjects: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Aged; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Bone Density; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Middle Aged; osteoporosis; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - blood; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - epidemiology; Philippines - epidemiology; post-menopausal women; Postmenopause - blood; Prevalence; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1756-1841; 1756-185X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-185X.2009.01414.x

Objective:  To determine the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in a group of Filipino post‐menopausal women with osteoporosis. Methods:  Seventy otherwise healthy post‐menopausal Filipino women seen at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Section of Rheumatology, were diagnosed with osteoporosis by central dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) technique. Levels of serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results:  The mean age of this population was 70 ± 8 years, with an average of 22 ± 10 years since menopause, and mean body mass index (BMI) of 22 ± 1 kg/m2. Only 30% (21/70) were on calcium plus vitamin D supplementation. Overall serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels ranged from 48–128 nmol/L, with a mean of 87 ± 20.48 nmol/L. Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels were divided as follows: 80–140 nmol/L (adequate), 25–79 nmol/L (inadequate/insufficient), and < 25 nmol/L (deficient). Sixty‐four percent (45/70) of subjects had adequate levels while 36% (25/70) had inadequate levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D. There were no subjects with deficient levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D. Fischer’s exact test did not show a significant association between BMD and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (P = 0.4804). Conclusion:  Among this group of women with post‐menopausal osteoporosis, only 36% had insufficient levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, with none of the subjects having deficient 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels. The majority (64%) had normal serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels – comparatively higher than that reported in the literature. These results suggest the possible contribution of factors other than vitamin D deficiency in post‐menopausal Filipino women with osteoporosis.