Objectives:

The aim of this study is to define the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in postmenopausal women and to evaluate its implications on bone metabolism. Patients, who admitted to the Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Outpatient Clinics included to the study.

Materials and Methods:

The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study. Postmenopausal women were scanned with DEXA and divided into three groups as osteoporosis, osteopenia, and the control group according to the T scores. During medical visit, patients’ clothing habits, and daily sunlight exposure rates have been scored from 1 to 4 with a questionnaire. Vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin, Dependent personality disorder (DPD), calcium, phosphorus, Alkaline phosphotase (ALP) levels were compared.

Results:

29.8% of the women had osteoporosis, and 45.8% had osteopenia. Forty eight women (36.6%) were reported to have severe vitamin D deficiency (25-OH-D<10 ng/mL), 38 women (%29) moderate vitamin D deficiency (10≤25-OH-D<20 ng/mL), and 22 women (%16.8) mild vitamin D deficiency (20≤25-OH-D<30 ng/mL). Only 23 of the women (17.6%) had vitamin D levels higher than 30 ng/mL. It was observed that as the vitamin D levels dropped, PTH levels increased. The threshold for 25-OH-D level was estimated as 16.3 ng/mL. A negative relation was observed between vitamin D and osteocalcin and a positive relation was observed between ALP, osteocalcin and PTH.

Conclusion:

Since the research to find out preventive effects of vitamin D on chronic diseases such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and it is already known that vitamin D reduces the risk of falls and fracture, closer follow-up of patients with vitamin D levels below 16.3 ng/mL with appropriate vitamin replacement may be important in reducing bone loss.

Keywords: Postmenopausal Osteoporosis, Secondary Hyperparathyroidism, Vitamin D Deficiency