Quantification of vitamin D in blood in general health examination

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc - General Internal Medicine - Endocrinology - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. Doctor has more than 10 years of studying, researching and working in the field of endocrinology.
Vitamin D plays an extremely important role in the body, but deficiency of this vitamin is very common. Therefore, the quantification of vitamin D in the blood during a general health examination helps to accurately assess the amount of vitamin D in the body, thereby helping to detect vitamin D deficiency early for timely supplementation.

1. What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an extremely important role in the body. Vitamin D includes many types, of which vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are the most important. In the blood, vitamins D2 and D3 are bound to vitamin D protein and transported to the liver, where the liver will be hydroxylated to form 25-hydroxylvitamin D (25-OH), which is the major circulating form of vitamin D. is the best indicator of the body's vitamin D status.
Accordingly, up to 80-90% of vitamin D supplied to the body is synthesized under the skin under the effect of sunlight. Only 10-20% of vitamin D is obtained from food. Foods rich in Vitamin D such as salmon, mackerel, cod liver oil, egg yolks, milk, cereals,...
The main biological function of vitamin D is to maintain calcium and phosphorus levels in the body. body, helping to increase the deposition of calcium in bones and teeth. When the body is provided with enough vitamin D, it will help reduce the risk of fractures, osteoporosis, and accelerate the recovery of broken bones. In addition, vitamin D also plays an important role in cell division, metabolism and secretion of hormones such as insulin, parathyroid hormone. According to the results of some studies, getting enough vitamin D can reduce the risk of certain cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer.

2. Why is it necessary to measure Vitamin D in the blood?

Vitamin D deficiency for a long time will seriously affect health. This not only increases the risk of osteoporosis, osteomalacia, fracture, vitamin deficiency also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, type I diabetes, type II diabetes, kidney disease, tuberculosis. , infectious diseases, cancer, .. are higher than people without Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is also associated with overall mortality in adults.
Vitamin D deficiency is a worrisome health problem. A study in Ho Chi Minh City found that 20% of men and 46% of women did not get enough vitamin D. Another study was conducted in 2010 in 19 provinces in Vietnam in 2010, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. in urban women is 59.3%, in rural women 56.2%, in urban children 62.1% and in rural areas 53.7%. Those at high risk of Vitamin D deficiency are:
Premature babies, low birth weight babies; Pregnant and lactating women; People with little exposure to the sun; People with dark skin, the ability to synthesize vitamin D is less when exposed to sunlight; People with intestinal malabsorption syndrome, chronic diarrhea, cholestatic hepatitis, impaired kidney function or some genetic diseases that cause decreased metabolism of vitamin D. Vitamin D in the blood is a test. The test is performed on an automatic machine for highly accurate results, helping to assess vitamin D levels in the body. Quantitative results help detect vitamin D deficiency in time, from which the doctor will guide to adjust the diet and activities to improve vitamin D levels, avoiding the risk of prolonged deficiency affecting health. . High blood vitamin D is rare, but it can happen in cases of getting too much vitamin D from supplements. Increased vitamin D in the blood also has adverse effects on health, can cause hypercalcemia, kidney damage, heart rhythm abnormalities, dehydration,...
Excess or deficiency of vitamin D both has negative effects good for health, so a quantitative vitamin D test is necessary. From the quantitative results of vitamin D, patients can adjust their lifestyle in a timely manner, supplement vitamin D appropriately and properly to protect their health.

3. Significance of the results of quantitative vitamin D in the blood

Serum vitamin D concentration (25-OH vitamin D) is expressed in ng/ml, normal and pathological values ​​of vitamin D are as follows:
Normal vitamin D concentration in healthy individuals is 50- 70 ng/ml Assess as vitamin D deficiency when the blood vitamin D quantification results <50 ng/ml. Assess as vitamin D excess when the amount of vitamin D in the blood > 100 ng/ml. The level of vitamin D toxicity is 200-250 ng/ml, but this case is rare.

4. Quantification of vitamin D in blood in general health examination

Despite its important role, many people currently do not understand the importance of vitamin D for health and nutrition. Quantitative vitamin D testing is not yet a common test in many hospitals. Vitamin D deficiency can have serious health effects, which are completely preventable with proper supplementation in the first place.

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