Vitamin D Status and Its Relationship with Age, Gender and Parathyroid Hormone

Abstract

Vitamin D is essential for our health. It plays a crucial role in bone mineralization through calcium and phosphate metabolism. Abnormal levels of vitamin D are linked to a group of different diseases, such as rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults, muscle problems, malfunctioning of the immune system, etc. From previous studies on vitamin D status in the Albanian population, has resulted that vitamin D levels are low to insufficient, although Albania is a sunny country. Taking into consideration this fact, this paper aims to assess the situation of vitamin D in a group of adult individuals, randomly selected in the district of Tirana. Vitamin D status is studied and evaluated based on the comparison of two randomly selected groups, in a difference of time for a decade (from 2009-2010 to 2019-2020). Data analysis is based on the comparison of vitamin D levels between genders and different age groups, as well as on the comparison of vitamin D level between healthy individuals and those with parathyroid problems. For the purpose of this study, a 10 ml fasting blood sample was collected in pre-chilled tubes from each subject and has been analyzed based on an immunoenzymatic method, using ELFA (Enzyme-Linked Floureshence Assay) technique, by VIDAS system. Further statistical analysis of the data collected is done by SPPS 20 program for windows. Comparing the findings of this study with those from the previous studies, as a conclusion we can say that the situation of vitamin D level appears improved to the previous years, but still the level of insufficiency is high.