Vitamin D-insufficiency: An estimate of the situation in Germany
Dermato-Endocrinology Volume 4, Issue 1 January/February/March 2012
Johann Diederich Ringe and Christoph Kipshoven
Background: Vitamin D insufficiency is increasingly recognized as an important risk factor in the pathogenesis of falls and fractures and may increase the risk of other diseases.
The aim of this study was to obtain information about the vitamin D supply from a representative cohort of the German population.
Methods: 264 General practitioners participated in the DeViD-Trial (D-vitamin in Deutschland) by taking blood samples from their consenting daily ambulant patients regardless of the actual reason for consultation. In these blood samples vitamin D [25(OH)D] and other related parameters were measured at a central laboratory. The patients filled in a simple questionnaire (i.e., age, sex, etc.). The trial was performed between February 26 and May 25, 2007.
Results: Laboratory and personal data were documented for 1343 individuals (615 men, 728 women).
The age distribution ranged from 20 to 99 y, the mean age of the whole cohort was 57.6 y (men 58.2, women 57.2).
The mean 25-OH-D-value for the whole cohort was 16.2 ng/ml (range: 6.0 to 66.8, median 14.1 ng/ml).
Ten percent of the patients had 25(OH)D-values below 7 ng/ml, 65% below 20 ng/ml and 92% showed values below 30 ng/ml.
In the more recent literature, 25(OH)D values below 30 ng/ml are regarded as sub-optimal for bone, muscle and general health.
Correspondingly it can be stated that in this representative population there is a high prevalence of moderate to severe vitamin D-insufficiency regardless of young or old age.
| Age | < 20–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 | 60–69 | 70–79 | 80+ |
| No. of subjects | 231 | 220 | 223 | 230 | 227 | 179 |
PDF is attached at the bottom of this page
See also Vitamin D Life
- Overview Deficiency of vitamin D
- 83 year-old women in Europe have 11 ng of vitamin D – July 2014
- 96 % of young Koreans had less than 30 ng of vitamin D – March 2012
- 92 % of ALL Germans less than 30 ng - Jan 2012
- 92 % of German elderly less than 30 ng - Jan 2012
- 90 % of Canadian youth less than 30 ng vitamin D – Oct 2010
- 90 % of young health care professionals had less than 30 ng of vitamin D – Nov 2011
- 87 % of Tennessee general medicine patients had less than 32 ng of vitamin D – Jan 2011
- 86 % of UK elderly less than 30 ng - Jan 2010
- 80 % of teens in Europe had less than 30 ng of vitamin D – Aug 2011
- 79 % of middle aged Americans had less than 32 ng of vitamin D – July 2010