Vitamin-D deficiency in adults of Mumbai city: Change in the last decade.

Background: Vitamin-D deficiency is a pandemic that is being linked to various noncommunicable diseases. The present study is an attempt to study the demographic profile and the prevalence of comorbidities in association with the vitamin-D status of the Mumbai-based study population. The authors also attempt to understand the change in prevalence over the last decade. Methodology: Fasting blood samples were collected from consenting asymptomatic adults visiting the hospital and were analyzed for the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency and diabetes mellitus, and participants were clinically examined for the presence of hypertension (as defined by AHA guidelines) and obesity (as defined by body mass index of more than equal to 30). Results: It was found that 57% of participants were deficient, 25% had insufficient, and 18% had adequate vitamin-D levels. There were a greater number of younger (P = 0.003) and upper-middle-class participants in the deficient group (P = 0.043816). Prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus and the distribution of genders was comparable in the deficient and sufficient vitamin-D groups. However, diabetic vitamin-D-sufficient participants had better control of blood sugar compared to diabetic vitamin-D-deficient participants. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency has slightly reduced compared to the previous decade, it is still highly prevalent. Diabetic vitamin-D-sufficient participants had better glycemic control compared to diabetic vitamin-D-deficient participants. Thus, it is highly recommended for primary care physicians to screen everyone for vitamin-D deficiency.