Clinical Identification of Geriatric Patients with Hypovitaminosis D: The 'Vitamin D Status Predictor for Geriatrics' Study

Nutrients. 2017 Jun 27;9(7):658. doi: 10.3390/nu9070658.

Abstract

The 16-item Vitamin D Status Predictor (VDSP) tool identifies healthy older community-dwellers at risk of hypovitaminosis D and may guide the use of blood tests in this population. The objective of the present hospital-based study was to test the efficacy of the VDSP to identify geriatric patients with hypovitaminosis D. The study included 199 nonsupplemented geriatric in- and outpatients consecutively admitted to Angers University Hospital, France (mean ± SD, 82.0 ± 7.8 years; 53.3% female). Serum 25-hydroxyvitaminD (25(OH)D) was measured at the time of the physician-administered VDSP. Hypovitaminosis D was defined as serum 25(OH)D concentration ≤ 75 nmol/L for vitamin D insufficiency, 25(OH)D ≤ 50 nmol/L for vitamin D deficiency, and 25(OH)D ≤ 25 nmol/L for severe vitamin D deficiency. We found that 184 participants (92.4%) had vitamin D insufficiency, 136 (68.3%) had vitamin D deficiency, and 67 (33.7%) had severe vitamin D deficiency. The VDSP identified severe vitamin D deficiency with an area under curve (AUC) = 0.83 and OR = 24.0. The VDSP was able to identify vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D insufficiency with less accuracy (AUC = 0.71 and AUC = 0.73, respectively). In conclusion, the 16-item VDSP is a short questionnaire that accurately identifies geriatric patients with severe vitamin D deficiency. This tool may guide the use of blood collection for determining geriatric patients' vitamin D status.

Keywords: hospital related; older adults; screening; vitamin D; vitamin D deficiency.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • France
  • Geriatric Assessment*
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Nutritional Status
  • Prevalence
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Vitamin D / administration & dosage
  • Vitamin D / blood*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / diagnosis*

Substances

  • Vitamin D