Vitamin D deficiency in children with chronic illnesses: Predisposing and protecting factors
Author: Koskivirta, Panu
Contributor: Helsingin yliopisto, Lääketieteellinen tiedekunta, Kliininen laitos
Thesis level:
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Comment by Vitamin D Life: Finnish nutrition board apparently decided on 2,000 IU upper limit because people cannot get more vitamin D from FOOD without fortification, supplements, or sun/uv
The Finnish nutritional advisory board states in their report that the recommended dose cannot further be elevated
or “it would be even harder or even impossible to fulfill it without usage of food supplements in the whole population”
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Abstract: This thesis assesses clinical differences in patients with low and high vitamin D levels. The factors analyzed included the underlying disease, body size, age, ethnic background, use of vitamin D supplements and the season when the blood sample was taken. Fifty patients with the lowest and 50 patients with the highest vitamin D concentrations were selected from a cohort of 1351 chronically ill children and adolescents who had had their vitamin D status assessed at Children's Hospital.
Protective factors appeared to be the usage of vitamin D supplements and young age, especially age <2 years.
Predisposing factors included non-Finnish ethnic background and older age, especially age 12-18 years. High vitamin D values were more prevalent in the summer and autumn and low values in the winter and spring. Patients with non-Finnish background were overrepresented in the low value group.
No differences regarding the underlying diseases could be detected.
Conclusions: In the Northern latitudes UVB-radiation is insufficient for vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D recommendations appear to be inadequate to fulfill the needs of chronically ill patients whose requirements for vitamin D are elevated compared to the general population. New guidelines for vitamin D supplementation are needed particularly for those at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/28623
Date: 2011-12-16
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