engleski

Serum vitamin D status in elderly women

Numerous epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to sunlight, i.e. enhanced production of vitamin D3 in the skin, is important in preventing many chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and type 1 diabetes. Sunlight supplies most of our vitamin D requirement, because only few foods naturally contain vitamin D. The elderly are at risk for vitamin D deficiency because of decreased exposure to sunlight and poor dietary vitamin D intake. The aim of this study was to determine vitamin D status in elderly women, and to compare vitamin D status according to their place of living. The subjects were 105 elderly women (mean age 76.0 years) from Zagreb, Croatia. Free-living women were 38 and 67 women were living in nursing homes. 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured by enzyme immunoassay in serum to determine vitamin D status, which is the major circulating form of vitamin D (Immunodiagnostic Systems Ltd, Boldon, UK, referent range 47.7-144 nmol/L). The average 25(OH)D concentration was 44.9 nmol/L. 25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in women living in nursing homes (36.7 nmol/L) than in free-living women (59.2 nmol/L) (p<0.01), what might be expected because women living in nursing homes have less outdoor activities. Concentration of 25(OH)D lower than 47.7 nmol/L was determined in 76.1% women living in nursing homes and in 26.3% free-living women. Older women living in nursing homes had inadequate vitamin D status. For them moderate exposure to sunlight, supplement use and/or increasing intake of foods fortified with vitamin D could be advised.

25-hydroxyvitamin D; elderly women; nursing homes; free-living women

nije evidentirano