Vitamin D Status in Hospitalized Male Patients in Ain Shams University Hospitals and Relation to Body Composition

Background Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent worldwide; its effect on bone is well known and understood, but the effect of this deficiency is still not clear. Objective This study examines vitamin D status in Egyptian hospitalized elderly male patients and its relation to body composition, muscle strength, and performance. Design This was a cross-sectional study. Participants and methods Data collected from a previous cross-sectional study, in which a systematic random sampling technique was used where every third patient (skip interval) was included in the study and vitamin D was measured only to a selected number of patient who meets inclusion criteria, were selected for inclusion in the study on the basis of the exclusion criteria, which may have affected the parameters measured. Complete assessment of history and physical examination were performed. Measurements Body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (Geratherm), hand grip was measured using a Jamar handheld dynamometer, performance was measured using the timed get up and go test, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Our study included 88 elderly men 60 years of age or older; the mean age of the participants studied was 64.74 ± 4.6 years, and 86.3% were married, 22.7% were physically active, and 15.9% were nonsmokers. The mean BMI was 26.4 ± 7.2 kg/m 2 and the mean vitamin D level was 12.15 ng/ml. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was 19.3% and that of vitamin D deficiency was 79.5%. Vitamin D deficiency was not associated with age, occupation, marital status, smoking (type, duration, and quantity), hand grip, timed get up and go test, and parameters of body composition. Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is highly prevalent among elderly Egyptian men, and its impact on body composition, muscle function, and strength is not significantly noticeable.