Vitamin d deficiency in chronic renal failure hemodialysis patients

Abstract EN

Objective : Vitamin D [(25 (OH)D] deficiency and insufficiency is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

25 (OH) D has been found to have beneficial effects on bone, cardiovascular and immune functions.

This study was undertaken to determine the vitamin D status of CKD patients on hemodialysis.

Methods : We performed a cross-sectional study evaluating 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels in 100 chronic dialysis patients in Al-Immamin Al-kadhimian city in Baghdad.

Associations between vitamin D level and various disease markers were measured using Pearson correlation.

Results : The mean age of patients was 51 ± 16 years, 62/100 (62 %) were males and 38/100 (38 %) were females.

36 / 100 (36 %) were diabetics.

The duration of hemodialysis was more than 6 months.

Most patients were on thrice weekly hemodialysis.

The mean level of vitamin D was 10.15 ± 7.57 ng/ml.

Majority of the patients [97/100 (97 %)] were either vitamin D deficient or had insufficient levels, and 92/100 (92%) were vitamin D deficient (levels <20 ng / ml); of these, 59 / 100 (59 %) had severe vitamin D deficiency (levels <10 ng / ml) and 5/100 (5%) had insufficient levels (20-30 ng / ml) of vitamin D.

Only 3/100 (3 %) patients had normal levels of vitamin D.

The mean levels of serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin were 8.8 ±1.37 mg/dl, 5.0±1.47 mg/dl, 166.5±15 IU/l and 3.6 ± 0.56 g/dl, respectively.

PTH levels ranged from 17to 1928 pg / ml, and the median was 296 pg / ml.

There was no significant correlation between 25 (OH)D levels and weight, sex, hemoglobin, age, alkaline phosphatase.

Also, no correlations with albumin, phosphorus and PTH levels.

Conclusions : Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are universal in our hemodialysis patients, with severe vitamin D deficiency in two-third of patients.