Vitamin D Deficiencies in Patients with Disorders of the Digestive System: Current Knowledge and Practical Considerations

There is a considerably high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with various disorders of the digestive system, including cystic fibrosis, acute and chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease, short bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. There are different causes of the vitamin D deficiency, and accordingly, there are different strategies for normalization of the vitamin D status in patients. In general, vitamin D normalization is beneficial for most patients. However, because there is evidence suggesting that vitamin D may be a negative acute-phase reactant, and as such is down-regulated during acute pancreatitis, it may be prudent to hold off on supplementing during the acute phase (and perhaps wait until the acute phase passes before checking levels) until there is evidence supporting benefit.