Vitamin D is increasing in Greece: testing, supplementation, and levels
Intense Testing and Use of Vitamin D Supplements Leads to Slow Improvement in Vitamin D Adequacy Rates: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Real-World Data
Nutrients 2024,16, 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/ nu16010111
Mainly Greek Authors
Vitamin D testing has increased dramatically
Much higher level if supplement for >12 months and >3,000 IU
Background: Vitamin D testing (VDT) and supplement use (VDS) are on the rise, but most patients remain deficient (<30 ng/mL-VDD). We designed the present real-world study to assess this paradox.
Methods: We reviewed data from all patients visiting our clinics between 2014 and 2022. We estimated the rate of patients with vitamin D adequacy (>30 ng/mL) (VDA) by year and month of testing, the dose of VDS (low (<1200 IU/day), medium (1201-3000 I/day) and high dose (>3000 IU/day)), intake duration (short-term (<12 months) and long-term use (>12 months)), and timing of use (current use, former use, no use).
Results: We enrolled n = 6912 subjects with vitamin D measurements: n = 5195 females (75.2%), age 44.0 ± 16.8 years, BMI 27.9 ± 6.5 kg/m2; never users: n = 5553 (80.3%), former users: n = 533 (7.7%), current users: n = 826 (12.0%). Current use of VDS was higher in females. VDT rose from 42.1% in 2014 to 92.7% in 2022, and VDA rose from 14.8% to 25.5% for the same time. VDA was found overall in n = 1511 (21.9%); Never users: n = 864 (15.6%), Former users: n = 123 (23.2%); and Current users: n = 370 (44.8%). The maximal VDA (67.9%) was found in subjects using high-dose VDS in the long term.
Conclusions: Despite the significant rise in VDT and VDS use, VDA was found in a minority of patients. Prolonged use of high-dose supplements produces modest improvements in VDA.
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Doctors often prescribe too small of doses
Many doctors continue to believe 2,000 IU of vitamin D is max (Hungary in this case)– Dec 2021
Do not expect a doctor to recommend a pill which will eliminate his job (vitamin D)
Doctors are incentivised to prescribe medicines, not improve health - Oct 2023
Doctors rarely aware that some people need larger doses
Autistics, Diabetics, Elderly, people with cystic fibrosis, etc need larger doses
People with dark skins need larger doses
People living far from the equator need larger dosses