VITA D: The Prevalence of Hypovitaminosis D in Oporto Metropolitan

Introduction: Vitamin D is the only vitamin synthesized in the skin through the sun, and its deficit is associated with an increase in global mortality. However, there are few studies of the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, manly among populations without risk factors for hypovitaminosis D. The primary goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis Din a population between 19 and 64 years old, without other morbidities that affect the metabolism of vitamin D. Methods: Observational descriptive transversal study. In all 313 patients included in this study we measured the levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in the venous blood, between the 1st of February and the 30th of April of 2016. Results: Of the 313 participants, 219 collected venous blood sample for the measurement of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. The majority (70.9%) was female, with a mean age of 47 years and a mean Graffar index of 3. The mean body mass index was 25 kg/m2 and 26.2% referred to be smokers. The majority (69.9%) were professionally active and worked in a daytime regime and indoors. The weekly median of sunlight exposure and use of solar protection was null. A percentage of 83.65% of the participants presented inadequate levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, and the average of analytical result in this parameter was 16.93 ng/dL. Discussion and Conclusion: The majority of the population presents inadequate levels of vitamin D. This study may serve as a reference for future investigations.