Seasonal variation of vitamin D level among menopausal and postmenopausal saudi women

Endocrine Abstracts (2011) 25 P31
Waleed Tamimi, Raad Kanan, Myson Adham & Salih Aljasser
College of Applied Medical Sciences and College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz for Health Science, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is common among women despite abundant sunshine in Saudi Arabia. No local study has evaluated the seasonal vitamin D level among hospitalized menopausal and postmenopausal Saudi women. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among menopausal and postmenopausal in Saudi Arabia during summer and winter.

Methods: Data were retrospectively collected for 1556 female patients (>19 years) during their hospital visits between January 2009 and December 2009 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The patients were divided into two groups 659 (42%) and 897 (58%) patients during summer and winter respectively. The summer group was subdivided into menopausal 425 (27%) (19–49 years) and postmenopausal 234 (15%) (?50 years); and in winter, 543 (35%) and 354 (23%) respectively. Serum levels of 25-hydoxy vitamin D (25OH VIT D) were measured by HPLC method.

Results: The prevalence of hypovitaminosis (<37 nmol/l) in menopausal and postmenopausal women was 18 and 7.6% during summer; 26 and 14% during winter respectively. There was a significant difference between the mean of vitamin D level of menopausal (33.3±33) and postmenopausal (44.4±35) women during summer (P<0.0001) and (28.5±27) and (36.3±28) during winter (P<0.0001) respectively. The between and within seasonal vitamin D variations were observed among menopausal and postmenopausal women (P<0.05). The between seasonal variations represented a 14% increase in vitamin D level for menopausal and 18.5% for postmenopausal women and that for within seasonal variation were 25 and 21% increase respectively.

Conclusion: A higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the hospitalized menopausal and postmenopausal Saudi women was observed in winter. Seasonal variation was also observed between and within this population. Clinicians should consider determination of vitamin D level in these women especially menopausal and advice proper supplementations.
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Possible reasons for (33 ng ==> 44 ng average post menopausal

1. Perhaps not required to use a veil and other restictive clothing when postmenopausal -just a guess
2. No more menstral bleeding which reduces iron, which reduces the ability of Liver to activate vitamin D
   Need to see if vitamin D levels increase in other countries as well. Wonder if it just happens in those countries ins which many people are Iron deficient

See also Vitamin D Life

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• All items in category Iron and Vitamin D 53 items