TY - JOUR

T1 - Vitamin D deficiency in Europe

T2 - pandemic?

AU - Cashman, Kevin D.

AU - Dowling, Kirsten G

AU - Škrabáková, Zuzana

AU - Gonzalez-Gross, Marcela

AU - Valtueña, Jara

AU - De Henauw, Stefaan

AU - Moreno, Luis A.

AU - Damsgaard, Camilla Trab

AU - Michaelsen, Kim F.

AU - Mølgaard, Christian

AU - Jorde, Rolf

AU - Grimnes, Guri

AU - Moschonis, George

AU - Mavrogianni, Christina

AU - Manios, Yannis

AU - Thamm, Michael

AU - Mensink, Gert BM

AU - Rabenberg, Martina

AU - Busch, Markus A

AU - Cox, Lorna

AU - Meadows, Sarah

AU - Goldberg, Gail

AU - Prentice, Ann

AU - Dekker, Jacqueline M

AU - Nijpels, Giel

AU - Pilz, Stefan

AU - Swart, Karin M A

AU - van Schoor, Natasja M

AU - Lips, Paul

AU - Eiriksdottir, Gudny

AU - Gudnason, Vilmundur

AU - Cotch, Mary Frances

AU - Koskinen, Seppo

AU - Lamberg-Allardt, Christel

AU - Durazo-Arvizu, Ramon A

AU - Sempos, Christopher T

AU - Kiely, Mairead

N1 - CURIS 2016 NEXS 061

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency has been described as being pandemic, but serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] distribution data for the European Union are of very variable quality. The NIH-led international Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) has developed protocols for standardizing existing 25(OH)D values from national health/nutrition surveys.OBJECTIVE: This study applied VDSP protocols to serum 25(OH)D data from representative childhood/teenage and adult/older adult European populations, representing a sizable geographical footprint, to better quantify the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Europe.DESIGN: The VDSP protocols were applied in 14 population studies [reanalysis of subsets of serum 25(OH)D in 11 studies and complete analysis of all samples from 3 studies that had not previously measured it] by using certified liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on biobanked sera. These data were combined with standardized serum 25(OH)D data from 4 previously standardized studies (for a total n = 55,844). Prevalence estimates of vitamin D deficiency [using various serum 25(OH)D thresholds] were generated on the basis of standardized 25(OH)D data.RESULTS: An overall pooled estimate, irrespective of age group, ethnic mix, and latitude of study populations, showed that 13.0% of the 55,844 European individuals had serum 25(OH)D concentrations <30 nmol/L on average in the year, with 17.7% and 8.3% in those sampled during the extended winter (October-March) and summer (April-November) periods, respectively. According to an alternate suggested definition of vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L), the prevalence was 40.4%. Dark-skinned ethnic subgroups had much higher (3- to 71-fold) prevalence of serum 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L than did white populations.CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is evident throughout the European population at prevalence rates that are concerning and that require action from a public health perspective. What direction these strategies take will depend on European policy but should aim to ensure vitamin D intakes that are protective against vitamin D deficiency in the majority of the European population.

AB - BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency has been described as being pandemic, but serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] distribution data for the European Union are of very variable quality. The NIH-led international Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) has developed protocols for standardizing existing 25(OH)D values from national health/nutrition surveys.OBJECTIVE: This study applied VDSP protocols to serum 25(OH)D data from representative childhood/teenage and adult/older adult European populations, representing a sizable geographical footprint, to better quantify the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Europe.DESIGN: The VDSP protocols were applied in 14 population studies [reanalysis of subsets of serum 25(OH)D in 11 studies and complete analysis of all samples from 3 studies that had not previously measured it] by using certified liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on biobanked sera. These data were combined with standardized serum 25(OH)D data from 4 previously standardized studies (for a total n = 55,844). Prevalence estimates of vitamin D deficiency [using various serum 25(OH)D thresholds] were generated on the basis of standardized 25(OH)D data.RESULTS: An overall pooled estimate, irrespective of age group, ethnic mix, and latitude of study populations, showed that 13.0% of the 55,844 European individuals had serum 25(OH)D concentrations <30 nmol/L on average in the year, with 17.7% and 8.3% in those sampled during the extended winter (October-March) and summer (April-November) periods, respectively. According to an alternate suggested definition of vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L), the prevalence was 40.4%. Dark-skinned ethnic subgroups had much higher (3- to 71-fold) prevalence of serum 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L than did white populations.CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is evident throughout the European population at prevalence rates that are concerning and that require action from a public health perspective. What direction these strategies take will depend on European policy but should aim to ensure vitamin D intakes that are protective against vitamin D deficiency in the majority of the European population.

U2 - 10.3945/ajcn.115.120873

DO - 10.3945/ajcn.115.120873

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26864360

VL - 103

SP - 1033

EP - 1044

JO - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

JF - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

SN - 0002-9165

IS - 4

ER -