Recent Information on Vitamin D Deficiency in an Adult Korean Population Visiting Local Clinics and Hospitals

We retrospectively reviewed serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) test results from an adult Korean population visiting local clinics and hospitals between July 2017 and December 2021 to gather recent information on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency status was investigated according to criteria offered by various clinical guidelines. During the study period, 180,289 subjects (29,658 men and 150,631 women) were tested for 25(OH)D. The overall prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency status based on 25(OH)D level were as follows: 0.4% for <5 ng/mL, 12.5% for <10 ng/mL, 20.6% for <12 ng/mL, 49.4% for <20 ng/mL, and <75.3% for <30 ng/mL. Women tested their 25(OH)D level more frequently than men, and the overall prevalence of 25(OH)D < 10 ng/mL was higher among women than men, while that of 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL was lower among women than men. Among age groups, the prevalence of 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL was higher in younger patients (20s-40s, 79.6-85.5%) than older ones (>= 50 years, 62.6-69.2%). The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency decreased over time from 2018 to 2021. Future studies are needed to clarify the clinical impact of this change.

Automated summary

This retrospective study reviewed the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in an adult Korean population between 2017 and 2021. The results show a decrease in the overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency over time. Women were more likely to test their 25(OH)D level and had a higher prevalence of levels below 10 ng/mL compared to men, while their prevalence of levels below 30 ng/mL was lower than that of men. Younger patients had a higher prevalence of levels below 30 ng/mL compared to older patients.