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Researchers find geographic differences in vitamin D deficiency rates

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Where a person lives may play a major role in determining whether they will receive a blood test indicating they have a vitamin D deficiency, according to a new study published in the Journal of Rural Life.

The results of the study involving more than 9,000 veterans living in the Southeast revealed that individuals who live in small rural towns and large metropolitan communities were the most likely to have a deficiency.

For the study, researchers from East Tennessee State University reviewed the medical records of 9,396 individuals who were treated between 2003 and 2009 at one of six Veterans Affairs hospitals across the Southeast. The results showed that compared to people living in urban settings, those living in rural areas were 20 percent more likely to have a deficiency, while those in the largest metro areas had a 49 percent increased risk of deficiency.

The researchers said that low levels of vitamin D have been linked to a range of potentially serious health problems. This findings should help healthcare providers treating individuals in rural and metro areas understand their patients' risk factors.