RESUMEN
Background: Inaccurate test results may be a reason why vitamin D deficiency is seen as a common problem worldwide. Interferences from the sample matrix during testing are the most important factors in measurement errors. In this study, the relationship between triglycerides and total cholesterol levels and vitamin D levels in Turkey was investigated. Methods: The 25-hydroxyvitamin D test results and lipid test results studied in Turkey in 2021 were compared. Data were obtained from the Ministry of Health National Health Database. Simultaneously, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels were studied, and 1,135,644 test results were taken as the basis. Results: In the group of patients with total cholesterol levels between 0-10.33 mmol/L, the proportion of patients below 20 mg/L ranged from 56.8% to 61.8%. In the patient group with cholesterol between 10.36-259 mmol/L, the rate of patients with less than 20 mg/L was between 70.8-100%, while the rate of patients with cholesterol above 100 mg/L was 0%. The mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 20.1 mg/L in the patient group with a total cholesterol level between 0-10.33 mmol/L, and 16 mg/L in the patient group with a cholesterol level above 10.36 mmol/L. The mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 20.11 mg/L in the patient group with triglycerides 0-10.16 mmol/L, and the 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 12.28 mg/L in the patient group with triglycerides 10.17-113 mmol/L. The proportion of patients with vitamin D levels above 100 mg/L was found to be 0% in the group of patients with triglycerides above 10.17-113 mmol/L. Conclusions: According to this study, there is a risk of toxicity when administering vitamin D therapy in patients with high cholesterol and triglycerides levels. This study is the first of this size in the literature. High triglycerides and cholesterol levels can cause inaccurate measurement of vitamin D levels, so care should be taken when evaluating these tests.
RESUMEN
Background: Across the world, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) deficiency is a major health problem associated with many chronic diseases in the geriatric population. Prior to this study, there were no data regarding 25-OHD levels among individuals over the age of 65 in Turkey. The aim of this study was to assess 25-OHD levels and seasonal variations in these values among people over the age of 65 in Turkey. Methods: This study included vitamin D measurements taken in 2016, 2017, and 2018 from the Turkish population over the age of 65. The age, gender, and seasonal average data of the study population were defined. The study data were obtained from the database of the Ministry of Health, and a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the distribution of the data. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated for all categories, as the data were nonparametric. Results: The number of vitamin D measurements taken from the geriatric individuals included in this study was 305,329 for 2016, 576,452 for 2017, and 752,837 for 2018. The medians and IQRs of the 25-OHD levels in this population were 16 µg/L (IQR 7.45-24.55 µg/L) for 2016, 16.1 µg/L (IQR 7.8-24.4 µg/L) for 2017, and 16.4 µg/L (IQR 8.95-23.85 µg/L) for 2018. Conclusions: While the 25-OHD levels of older men tended to increase during the period of seasonal sunlight in Turkey, this variability was observed in elderly women. This suggests that older women tend to live more sedentary lives and have insufficient sun exposure. Overall, the median 25-OHD levels of individuals over the age of 65 tended to decrease each year.
