Vitamin D levels in healthy men in eastern Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Studies in 1980s and 1990s indicated that vitamin D levels in the ethnic Saudi Arabian population were low but no studies since that time evaluated vitamin D levels among healthy young or middle-aged Saudi men. Thus, we assessed the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25OHD] among healthy Saudi Arabian men living in the Eastern Province. One hundred males aged 25-35 years [the age range of peak bone mass] and 100 males aged 50 years or older were randomly selected and evaluated clinically, including measurement of serum calcium, parathyroid hormone [PTH] and serum 25 OHD levels. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum level of 25 OHD of serum level between >20 ng/mL and <30 ng/mL and normal >/= 30 ng/mL. The mean [SD] age of subjects in the younger age group was 28.2 [4.5] years. Twenty-eight [28%] had low 25OHD levels; 10 [10%] subjects were vitamin D deficient with a mean level of 16.6 [3.4] ng/mL and 18[18%] were vitamin D insufficient with a mean level of 25.4 [2.7] ng/mL. In the older age group, the mean age was 59.4 [15.6] years and 37 [37%] had low 25 OHD; 12[12%] subjects were deficient with a mean 25OHD level of 16.7 [3.4] ng/mL and 25[25%] were insufficient with a mean 25OHD level of 25.3 [3.3] ng/mL. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy Saudi men is between 28% to 37%. Vitamin D deficiency among young and middle age Saudi Arabian males could lead to serious health consequences if the issue is not urgently addressed