Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in Egyptian bariatric patients

Abstract

. ABSTRACT Background: Obesity is currently a pandemic that continues to increase all over the world. Nutritional disorders are among the obesity-related adverse events, with vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency being the most frequently encountered one. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence of reduced vitamin D levels in Egyptian patients with obesity who were candidates for bariatric surgery and to assess the relation between these levels and the patients’ characteristics. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study that included patients with obesity who were recruited for bariatric surgery. The patient’s medical files were screened for demographic and clinical data, including data regarding vitamin D status. Results: This study included 426 patients who were eligible for the study. The patients’ vitamin D levels ranged from 4 to 50 ng/ml, with a mean of 30.2±13.7 ng/ml. A statistically significant lower mean vitamin D levels were shown in females ( P=0.006 ), patients with extreme obesity ( P=0.021 ), diabetes mellitus ( P=0.014 ), and polycystic ovary syndrome ( P=0.016 ). Patients with depression also showed lower mean levels of vitamin D, with marginal statistical significance ( P=0.056 ). Conclusion: This study confirms the high prevalence of abnormally low vitamin D levels in patients with obesity who were candidates for bariatric surgery. The study highlighted differences based on sex and revealed connections between low vitamin D levels and conditions like type 2 diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovary syndrome, depression, and eligibility for bypass surgeries.