European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Vitamin D (Vit D) deficiency has been studied among various Indian populations with conflicting results. There is a paucity of data connecting the link between Vit D deficiency among the doctors who are particularly at risk of developing and causes of increase in insulin resistance, hypertension, inflammation, and increased cardiovascular risk. Also, the association between Vit D deficiency and diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases is unclear. Given these observations, we would like to study the prevalence of Vit D deficiency among the doctors of Belagavi city of India.
Materials and Method: It was a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted by the department of General Medicine, Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences Belagavi, during the period from April 2016 to March 2017. All the doctors residing in Belagavi city were included in the present study after meeting appropriate exclusion criteria. The detailed history, risk factors, and laboratory finding was noted. The informed consent was taken from each participant before inclusion in the study.
Results: 100 doctors aged between 40 to 70 years were studied. The male-to-female ratio was 62:38. Predominantly males were in the age range of 41-50 years of age. The mean age for men was 51 years with SD 6.36 years and for women were 49 years with SD 6.07 years. Cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes was seen in 58%, hypertension in 63%, and hyperlipidemia seen in 33%.
Conclusion: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency observed in our study was 40%. There was a significant association between diabetes mellitus and hypertension in vitamin D deficiency compared with vit D sufficiency individuals. Vitamin d deficiency is commonly seen in all age groups, therefore, strategies such as increasing awareness, and educating the masses about adequate exposure to sunlight. The need for dietary rich in vitamin D sources and fortification of foods with Vitamin D.