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Vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone in a urban population in Vietnam

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Abstract

Summary

In this cross-sectional study in Vietnam, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was 46% in adult women and 20% in adult men. There was a linear inverse relationship between serum 25(OH)D and PTH concentrations, but there was no threshold of 25(OH)D at which PTH levels plateaued.

Introduction

Vitamin D insufficiency is adversely associated with health outcomes. Vitamin D status in Asian populations is not well documented. This study sought to assess vitamin D status and its relationship to parathyroid hormone in a Vietnamese population.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 205 men and 432 women aged 18–87 years, who were randomly sampled from various districts in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) according to a proportional sampling scheme. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D and PTH were measured by the Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay on the Roche Elecsys 10100/201 system (Roche Diagnosis Elecsys). Vitamin D insufficiency was quantified as serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L).

Results

The average age for men and women was 43.8 ± 18.4 years (mean ± SD) and 47.7 ± 17.1 years, respectively. The mean 25(OH)D concentration in men (36.8 ± 10.2 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in women (30.1 ± 5.9; P < 0.0001). The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in men was 20% (41/205) which was significantly lower than in women (46%, 199/432). Age, height and weight were independent predictors of 25(OH)D concentrations, and the three factors explained 15% and 5% of variance in 25(OH)D in men and women, respectively. There was a linear inverse relationship between serum 25(OH)D and PTH concentrations, but there was no threshold of 25(OH)D at which PTH levels plateaued.

Conclusions

These data show that vitamin D insufficiency is common even in tropical region, and that women had a greater risk of vitamin D insufficiency than men. These data suggest that an elevation in PTH cannot be used as a marker for vitamin D deficiency.

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Acknowledgments

The study was partially supported by a grant from the University Commission for Development (CUD) program, Belgium. We thank the following fathers for their support and help in the recruitment and providing logistic support for the study: Fr. Pham Ba Lam, Fr. Vu Minh Danh, Mr. Pham Doan Phong, Mr. Luong Thang Phat, Mr. Nguyen Cong Phu, and Mr. Tien Ngoc Tuan. We thank Dr. Le Thi Ngoc Linh, Dr. Pham Ngoc Khanh of the People's Hospital 115; and our medical students Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Nguyen Hai Dang, Vo thi Thuy An, Nguyen thi Thanh Thao, Mai Duy Linh, Nguyen Vu Dat, Diem Dang Khoa, and Tran Hong Bao for their assistance in the interview of participants. We thank Dr. Tong T. Nguyen of the MEDIC Pathology Center (Ho Chi Minh City) for his technical assistance in the analysis of vitamin D and PTH.

Conflicts of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest with regard to this study. Professor Tuan Nguyen received honorarium for speaking and providing consultant services to MSD Vietnam Ltd, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, and Roche. Professor John Eisman serves as a consultant and receives corporate appointment from Amgen, deCode, Eli Lilly and Company, GE-Lunar, Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd., Novartis, Organon, Roche-GSK, sanofi-aventis and Servier.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Thanh Thai Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    L. T. Ho-Pham & T. Q. Lai

  2. Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia

    N. D. Nguyen, J. A. Eisman & T. V. Nguyen

  3. Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    J. A. Eisman & T. V. Nguyen

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  1. L. T. Ho-Pham
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Correspondence to L. T. Ho-Pham.

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Ho-Pham, L.T., Nguyen, N.D., Lai, T.Q. et al. Vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone in a urban population in Vietnam. Osteoporos Int 22, 241–248 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-010-1207-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-010-1207-4

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