Vitamin D and Related Parameters in Saudi Adults: a Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53796/NSJ/52.3Keywords:
Vitamin D, Saudi Arabians, PTH, ALKP, Glucose, Magnesium, Cross-sectional studyAbstract
Background: Vitamin D deficiency remains paradoxically prevalent in sun-rich regions like Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study assessed serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] levels and their association with biochemical and lifestyle parameters in a sample of the Saudi adult population. Methods: A total of 309 Saudi adults were enrolled, comprising 209 target participants (patients attending medical consultations) and a 100 apparently healthy adult individuals accompanying the patients who agreed to act as a control group. Serum vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), calcium, and magnesium were measured.
Results: Both groups (target patients and their apparently healthy companions) were found to be profoundly vitamin D-deficient: only 3.8% of patients and 5% of companions had vitamin D levels >30 ng/mL, the serum level taken as having vitamin D sufficiency. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL) was 84.8%. Males demonstrated a higher deficiency rate (88.5%) compared to females (78.4%). Biochemical analysis revealed strong inverse correlations between vitamin D and both PTH (r = -0.702, p < 0.001) and ALKP (r = -0.507, p < 0.001), with weak positive correlations observed for calcium (r = 0.102, p = 0.012) and magnesium (r = 0.091, p = 0.025).
Conclusion: This study confirms that vitamin D deficiency is a public health problem among Saudi adults, affecting 84.8% of the population sampled. —with males disproportionately impacted. The biochemical correlations suggest that vitamin D deficiency is probably associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism and increased bone turnover even in asymptomatic individuals. The findings re frame vitamin D deficiency from a simple nutritional deficit to a multifactorial condition requiring comprehensive, population-specific interventions—including targeted screening of high-risk males, lifestyle counseling, and appropriate public health policies.
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