Status of serum 25 hydroxyvitamin d and the prevalence of its deficiency in iraqi healthy men: age dependent study

Background: This study was designed to assess the status of vitamin D concentration (deficiency and insufficiency), by measurement of 25 hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D in Iraqi healthy men and to show the effect of age on it. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Biochemistry Department, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Iraq, during the period from January 2013 to November 2013. This study included 180 healthy men, aged 18-82 years encountered from different regions of Iraq. Men were classified into several groups according to their ages; group VAI (GVAI; < 50 year), group VAII (GVAII; > 50 year), group VBI (GVBI; < 60 year) and group VBII (GVBII; > 60 year). High performance liquid chromatography technique (HPLC) was used for the determination of serum 25(OH)D. Results: The mean value of 25(OH)D concentrations in Iraqi health men was 27.77±12.18 ng/ml, with a range of 1.60-66.89 ng/ml. The results revealed that 28.90 % of the studied men had vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/ml), 35.0 % had vitamin D insufficiency (>20<30 ng/ml), and 36.10 % had normal D (> 30 ng/ml). The mean of serum 25(OH)D of men with age ≥ 60 year was significantly lower than that of men of age < 60 year (p=0.038). There was significant positive correlation between the values of age and the serum concentrations of 25(OH)D in group age (40-<60 year) with (r=0.224, p=0.026). Conclusion: The present study revealed the relatively high prevalence of both deficiency and insufficiency of serum 25(OH)D in Iraqi healthy men. The elderly men of age of ≥60 year are the more obvious ones who suffered from D deficiency and who are of urgent need for this vitamin supplementation to combat its complications.