- Vitamin D deficiency trends, risk factors, and occupational risk in active component service members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 2018-2022
- Fit athletes appear to need 50ng, wonder why fit military need only 20 ng?
- VitaminDWiki – Overview Deficiency of vitamin D contains
- VitaminDWiki – Sports category contains
Vitamin D deficiency trends, risk factors, and occupational risk in active component service members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 2018-2022
Medical Surveillance Monthly Report . 2024 Aug 20;31(8):2-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39255511/
Devin C Kelly 1, Michael Fan 2, Richard S Langton 2, Shauna L Stahlman 2
For those who were able to get tested, risk of having < 20 ng of Vitamin D
Vitamin D contains 2 related fat-soluble substances, D3 and D2, that are essential for bone health and overall well-being. The burden of vitamin D deficiency within the active component of the armed forces is unknown. This study describes trends of vitamin D deficiency diagnoses in the active component of the U.S. Armed Forces. Risk factors for vitamin D, such as military occupation, were examined to see if preventive measures and targeted vitamin D screening would be beneficial, as the United States Preventive Task Force does not recommend universal screening for vitamin D, nor does TRICARE cover screening for asymptomatic individuals. The surveillance period covered January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2022. The data were derived from the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS). Vitamin D deficiency was measured using ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM diagnoses recorded in inpatient and outpatient medical encounters. Incidence rate and average annual prevalence were calculated. A logistic regression was performed to obtain adjusted odds ratios. The rates of vitamin D deficiency diagnoses among active component service members (ACSMs) remained steady during the study period, with an incidence rate of 16.4 per 1,000 person-years and an average annual prevalence of 2.2%.
- Female service members,
- those of older age groups, and
- indoor workers demonstrated higher rates of vitamin D deficiency.
Previously described demographic risk factors such as
- indoor work and
- history of obesity or
- malabsorption syndrome
were also associated in this study with vitamin D deficiency in ACSMs, although older age groups in this study were not associated with vitamin D deficiency. Pilots and air crew had the lowest rates of vitamin D deficiency, while health care workers had the highest, when evaluating by occupation.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
As of 2020 TRICARE no longer pays for testing without overt symptoms
VitaminDWiki - Military and Vitamin D - many studies contains items such as
Vitamin D Deficiency in the Military: It’s Time to Act! - Oct 2021
86% of US military no longer have enough Vitamin D (30 ng) – Dec 2020
Soldiers' vitamin D levels dropped by half over 18 years – March 2014
Need for Routine Vitamin D Screening in Military Personnel - letter to Editor 2016
The veterans side of the military have learned: Veterans and Vitamin D - many studies contains
- 40 percent less likely to die if vitamin D was prescribed (10,000 VA patients, no surprise) – Oct 2021
- VA showed increased vitamin D associated with lower health costs - Lancet May 2012
- VA found less testing for vitamin D resulted in increased health costs – Jan 2012
- 3X less Multiple Sclerosis with enough vitamin D - Veterans Administration
Fit athletes appear to need 50ng, wonder why fit military need only 20 ng?
Overview Sports and vitamin D contains
Athletes are helped by vitamin D by:
- Faster reaction time
- Far fewer colds/flus during the winter
- Less sore/tired after a workout
- Fewer micro-cracks and broken bones
- Bones which do break heal much more quickly
- Increased VO2 and exercise endurance Feb 2011
- Indoor athletes especially need vitamin D
- Professional indoor athletes are starting to take vitamin D and/or use UV beds
- Olympic athletes have used UV/vitamin D since the 1930's
- The biggest gain from the use of vitamin D is by those who exercise less than 2 hours per day.
- Reduced muscle fatigue with 10,000 IU vitamin D daily
- Muscle strength improved when vitamin D added: 3 Meta-analysis
- Reduced Concussions
See also: Sports and Vitamin D category284 items
VitaminDWiki – Overview Deficiency of vitamin D contains
FACT: Much of the world is now vitamin D deficient
FACT: Vitamin D intake can be increased by supplements, injection, UV, and sun (very little by food)
OBSERVATION:There are many reasons that a person may be vitamin D deficient
11 of the reasons for the epidemic are new in the past 40 years, Example: Air Conditioning
OBSERVATION: The more reasons that apply to an individual, the more likely he is to be deficient (additive reasons)
FACT: Vitamin D Deficiency has been associated with many diseases112 items FACT: Adding vitamin D to diets has been proven E1 E2 in clinical trials to both PREVENT some and TREAT some diseases
OBSERVATION: Adding vitamin D (intervention) does PREVENT and TREAT additional diseases - more trials are underway
OBSERVATION: There are at least 10 ways to increase the response by the blood to vitamin D intakeDetails at VitaminDWiki
- All items: Deficiency of Vitamin D
469 items - Incidence of 22 health problems related to vitamin D have doubled in a decade many charts
- Vitamin D levels have been crashing since 1995 (Polish Children, Elite Military, etc)
- People with gut problems are low on vitamin D – April 2011
- Concealing clothing resulted in only 8 ng vitamin D – Feb 2011
- 23 ng of vitamin D in sunny Israel – Dec 2010
- Need to avoid the sun during the summer in Dubai
- Vitamin D deficiency spares no body part – NE Asia – Jan 2013
- Diseases associated with Winter and the North are occurring in the Summer now that they can avoid the extreme summer heat with air conditioning
- Vitamin D less than 22 ng in Greece half of the year– May 2011
- Vitamin D insufficiency in UK youths – 37X more likely if dark skin – July 2011
- All items in Far From Equator
125 items - Beijing extremely vitamin D deficient even in the fall: 10 ng – April 2013
- 93 % of US children had less than 30 ng of vitamin D Oct 2021
- 92 % of ALL Germans less than 30 ng - Jan 2012
- 92 % of German elderly less than 30 ng - Jan 2012
- 91 % of Japanese women less than 30 ng - 2012
- 90 % of Canadian youth less than 30 ng vitamin D – Oct 2010
- 90 % of Swiss men have less than 30 ng of vitamin D in the winter – Nov 2012
- 90 % of young health care professionals had less than 30 ng of vitamin D – Nov 2011
- 87 % of Tennessee general medicine patients had less than 32 ng of vitamin D – Jan 2011
- 86 % of UK elderly less than 30 ng - Jan 2010
- 86 % of US military has less than 32 ng of Vitamin D – Dec 2020
- 82 % of Swedes did not have the recommended amount of vitamin D – Feb 2011
- 80 % of teens in Europe had less than 30 ng of vitamin D – Aug 2011
- 79 % of middle aged Americans had less than 32 ng of vitamin D – July 2010
- 76 % of Irish had less than 30 ng of vitamin D – April 2013
- 70 % of Koreans in their twenties had less than 20ng of vitamin D – Dec 2010
- 50 % of Quebec kids had less than 20 ng of vitamin D – Milk and movement did not help – Mar 2011
- 42 % of US adults less than 20 ng of vitamin D and 82 % of blacks – Jan 2011
- 33 % of pre-teens in Tehran had less than 5 ng of vitamin D – Feb 2011
- 30 % of US had less than 20 ng of vitamin D - CDC March 2011
- 27 % of Turkish mothers has less than 11 ng of vitamin D
- Vitamin D could save More than 10,000 Canadian lives annually LEF
- Teens increasingly indoors - especially if dark skin - July 2010
- Criteria to associate a disease with the lack of vitamin D
- Many reasons why vitamin D deficiency has become epidemic
- Ways to increase the amount of vitamin D you get from the sun
- Review of Vitamin D Deficiencies in developing countries - Oct 2011
- Military and Vitamin D - many studies
- Quick, FREE, self-test for Vitamin D deficiency
- Health problem frequency - 1997 = rates of occurrence of human health problems
VitaminDWiki – Sports category contains
284 items in Sports category Sports benefits from up to 50 ng (click on chart for details)
see also:
Overview Sports and vitamin D Concussions
Military Muscle Overview Fractures and vitamin D
Vitamin D supplementation increases strength of lower muscles – Meta-analysis April 2019
Athletes helped by weekly 50,000 IU Vitamin D – RCT Aug 2019
College swimmers helped by daily 5,000 IU of Vitamin D in the fall – RCT Feb 2020
Shin splints decrease with vitamin D
Less muscle inflammation after exercise if high level of Vitamin D (50 ng) -July 2021 50 ng
Only 1 NCAA basketball player getting 10,000 IU vitamin D daily achieved 50 ng goal – Jan 2020 50 ng
NCAA trainers are getting on board the Vitamin D train (40-50 ng)– Nov 2019 50 ng
Is 50 ng of vitamin D too high, just right, or not enough 50 ng
The only independent predictor of aerobic power: Vitamin D - 2021
Olympic Committee consensus on Vitamin D, Omega-3, Zinc, etc– May 2018 not consdered "doping"
Some Foot and ankle problems are treated by Vitamin D – many studies
Typical stress fracture during US Navy training cost 14,953 dollars, most had less than 40 ng Vitamin D - June 2022
Vitamin D trials by military – all 4 found benefit – review Sept 2019
Vitamin D supplementation increases strength of lower muscles – Meta-analysis April 2019
Omega-3 helps muscles - many studiesUS Military, like several countries, no longer pays for vitamin D testing unless overtly deficient – Aug 20246626 visitors, last modified 13 Sep, 2024, This page is in the following categories (# of items in each category)Attached files
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- All items: Deficiency of Vitamin D