Vitamin D is increasing in Greece: testing, supplementation, and levels – Jan 2024

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Intense Testing and Use of Vitamin D Supplements Leads to Slow Improvement in Vitamin D Adequacy Rates: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Real-World Data

Nutrients 2024,16, 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/ nu16010111
Mainly Greek Authors

Vitamin D testing has increased dramatically

Much higher level if supplement for >12 months and >3,000 IU

Background: Vitamin D testing (VDT) and supplement use (VDS) are on the rise, but most patients remain deficient (<30 ng/mL-VDD). We designed the present real-world study to assess this paradox.

Methods: We reviewed data from all patients visiting our clinics between 2014 and 2022. We estimated the rate of patients with vitamin D adequacy (>30 ng/mL) (VDA) by year and month of testing, the dose of VDS (low (<1200 IU/day), medium (1201-3000 I/day) and high dose (>3000 IU/day)), intake duration (short-term (<12 months) and long-term use (>12 months)), and timing of use (current use, former use, no use).

Results: We enrolled n = 6912 subjects with vitamin D measurements: n = 5195 females (75.2%), age 44.0 ± 16.8 years, BMI 27.9 ± 6.5 kg/m2; never users: n = 5553 (80.3%), former users: n = 533 (7.7%), current users: n = 826 (12.0%). Current use of VDS was higher in females. VDT rose from 42.1% in 2014 to 92.7% in 2022, and VDA rose from 14.8% to 25.5% for the same time. VDA was found overall in n = 1511 (21.9%); Never users: n = 864 (15.6%), Former users: n = 123 (23.2%); and Current users: n = 370 (44.8%). The maximal VDA (67.9%) was found in subjects using high-dose VDS in the long term.

Conclusions: Despite the significant rise in VDT and VDS use, VDA was found in a minority of patients. Prolonged use of high-dose supplements produces modest improvements in VDA.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

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VitaminDWiki – Tests for Vitamin D contains:

• Fact: Many countries no longer pay for more than 1 (some not pay for even a single Vit D test)
    They feel that Vit D testing is not needed except for a few conditions (Rickets, etc) Japan is an exception
• Fact: Vit D tests are not very accurate
     The best lab tests have accuracies and repeatabilities of +-5 ng
     Low cost vitamin D Blood Tests - both in lab and at home
     Many lab tests have accuracies and repeatabilities of +- 10 ng - or worse
     Vitamin D deficiency of a group - 15% to 48%
• Fact: Low-cost office/home Vit D tests are available around the world (not US as of 2018)
     Low-cost 35 ng Y/N test by Nanospeed
     Low-cost Vitamin D testers (two yes-no tests for 11 dollars) - 2024 Nanospeed
     Quick, free, self test for deficiency
• Fact: 3 major Vit D gene problems are not noticed by Vit D tests
     ~ 20% of people have poor Vit D genes
     Hint that Vit D not getting to cells: Vit D related diseases run in your family
     Another hint - you have one of the 40 diseases which are 2X more likely if have poor genes
• Fact: A Vit D test will rarely (<1 in 1000) indicate that you are getting too much
• Opinion: If only getting a single test, wait till after supplementing with Vit D
     3 months after starting a maintenance dose or 4 weeks after a loading dose

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VitaminDWiki – Increased use of D contains:

People have been noticing, and increasing vitamin D (55 items)

Studies are showing increased Vitamin D consumption and associated
      Increased levels of vitamin D PLUS increased health

• Vitamin D is increasing in Greece: testing, supplementation, and levels – Jan 2024
• US Vitamin D levels increased 2001-2018 – Oct 2022
• After years of adding vitamin D, Finland now has 38 ng levels - March 2022
• Trends in vitamin D status around the world – Nov 2021
• Vitamin D levels increased in Saudi Arabia over a decade (more sun or supplements) – Sept 2021
• 26 X increase in Vitamin D prescriptions for youths in England in 8 years – Dec 2019
• Vitamin D levels continue to rise in the US - April 2019
• 93 pcnt of these Lupus patients supplemented with Vitamin D - Nov 2020
• UK people with Multiple Sclerosis are 3X more likely to take Vitamin D - Oct 2020
• Parkinson patients: 60 % taking Vitamin D – Dec 2019
• The use of Vitamin D to prevent prostate cancer doubled in a decade – May 2019
• Vitamin D levels continue to rise in the US - April 2019
• Vitamin D levels at Mayo Clinic increased over a decade – June 2018
• Vitamin D levels in US: percent having more than 40 ng doubled (2001-2010) - Dec 2016
• Rickets almost eradicated in counties giving free Vitamin D, perhaps the world can learn – Dec 2019
• Vitamin D in US children: those having more than 40 ng increased 60 percent (2001-2010) - Dec 2016
• 4 times fewer with vitamin D deficiency in just 4 years ( Connecticut) – March 2016
• 20X increase in vitamin D sold and 36 percent decrease in osteoporosis business in Australia – Nov 2013
• Many more people now have vitamin D levels above 50 ng, especially seniors – May 2015
  • has the following chart for one US county

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Doctors often prescribe too small of doses

• Many doctors continue to believe 2,000 IU of vitamin D is max (Hungary in this case)– Dec 2021
• Do not expect a doctor to recommend a pill which will eliminate his job (vitamin D)
• 17 reasons why are doctors reluctant to accept vitamin D
• Doctors are incentivised to prescribe medicines, not improve health - Oct 2023

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Doctors rarely aware that some people need larger doses

• Obese need 2.5 X larger doses
• Autistics, Diabetics, Elderly, people with cystic fibrosis, etc need larger doses
• People with dark skins need larger doses
• People living far from the equator need larger dosses
• Shut ins need larger doses

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Doctors rarely aware that some people need a different form of vitamin D

• Poor guts