Vitamin defficiency in rheumatology clinic practice in Qatar

Abstract EN

In order to assess the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency in patients attending the rheumatology outpatient clinic at Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar, 360 consecutive pa¬tients (97 % female) were tested for fasting levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, calcium,, phos¬phorus, albumin and alkaline phosphatase.

Two hundred and three patients (56 %) showed vitamin D levels below 20 ng / ml.

From the results obtained it is concluded that lev¬els of serum calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phos-phatase are of limited value in predicting vitamin-D sta¬tus.

The difficulty of skin synthesis in heavily-robed women is discussed and it is concluded that hypovitaminosis D is frequent in such women and that routine assays of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone and vitamin D supplementa¬tion would be beneficial.