Study of the Vitamin D Levels in Patients Referred to Clinical Laboratories in Mashhad in 2015 and their Relationship with the Patients’ Lipid Profiles

INTRODUCTION Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that has a significant role in the metabolism of minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus; it also is a major determinant of the strength of bones. This hormone has a significant effect on three major health issues that people worldwide encounter, i.e., high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. Considering the limited and dispersed studies on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Iran and the relationship of vitamin D with lipid profiles in different people, this study was conducted to determine the vitamin D levels in patients and its relationship with their lipid profiles. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 on 1,110 patients who were referred to the two laboratories at Jihad Daneshgahi and to eight specialist laboratories in Mashhad through random sampling of patients for whom serum vitamin D and serum lipid tests were prescribed. The data that were obtained were entered into SPSS 13 software. RESULTS Sixty-eight percent of the patients in the study were deficient in vitamin D. The vitamin D levels in males were significantly lower than those in females (p < 0.05). The relationship between age and vitamin D deficiency was significant as well (p < 0.05). A positive and significant relationship was observed between age and vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.000, r = 0.187), i.e., vitamin D deficiency was more apparent in patients whose ages were in the range of 40-59. The relationship between the levels of vitamin D and serum lipids was significant and positive (p = 0.05), with the exception of LDL. CONCLUSION About two-thirds of the population that was studied had a vitamin D deficiency. There was a positive and significant relationship between serum vitamin D and serum lipids and serum calcium. The results of this study showed the necessity for more research and the implementation of preventive measures related to vitamin D deficiency. It is recommended that vitamin D enrichment programs be planned and implemented.