Doctors beware! Recent studies have revealed that about 69 per cent of Indian doctors are deficient in vitamin D and 15 per cent have insufficient vitamin D.
“Due to long working hours, people have little or zero time for outdoor activities, which is one of the major reasons for the lack of vitamin D in the body. This holds true for the medical fraternity, too,” said Dr. Sanjay Kalra, who was the key investigator in a study which confirmed the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency all across India in apparently healthy, middle-aged, healthcare professionals.
In the cross-sectional, multicentre study, 2,119 medical and paramedical personnel from 18 Indian cities were enrolled. Subjects included physicians and healthcare professionals attending educational programmes in endocrinology.
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The blood samples were collected between December 2010 and March 2011 and analysed in a central laboratory through radioimmunoassay. It was found that 79 per cent of the subjects were deficient in vitamin D, 15 per cent were insufficient, and only 6 per cent had sufficient levels of this vitamin.
Speaking about the issue, Dr. Sanjay Kalra, vice-president of the South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies, said, “The Indian subcontinent is situated between 8.4° N and 37.6° N latitudes and it gets adequate sunshine throughout the year. Despite this, studies have shown widespread prevalence of hypovitaminosis D. It is an irony that there is sunshine vitamin deficiency in the Land of Surya Namaskar.”
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He explains that with healthcare professionals nowadays usually working within the four walls of a hospital, there is little or no scope for exposure to sunlight and thus, a majority of them are found to be vitamin D deficient.
“It is very important for healthcare professionals to be aware of their vitamin D status. They will then be more likely to screen their patients for deficiency. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to detect and treat vitamin D deficiency among healthcare professionals to improve on-the-job productivity. One such approach could be assessment of vitamin D status of all hospital employees and its appropriate treatment at the time of employment and subsequently on a regular basis,” the study recommends.
Bones affected
Lack of vitamin D poses a lot of serious health problems apart from affecting the bones in a major way.
Sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D. When the human body is exposed to sunlight, it can make this vitamin on its own.
Apart from being good for the bones, it has an important role to play in the functioning of muscles, brain, lungs, and heart and also in increasing immunity.
“It is not very difficult to overcome this deficiency provided certain measures are taken. It is good to get about 30 minutes of daily sun exposure (without sunscreen) in the morning to help the body process this vitamin. Surya Namaskar may help correct vitamin D deficiency by providing exposure to sunlight. Salmon, mackerel, herring, and tuna are fatty fish that are good sources of vitamin D. Fish oils, egg yolks, fortified milk and other fortified foods such as cereals are also good sources of the vitamin,” added Dr. Sanjay Kalra.
Studies have revealed that about 69 per cent of Indian
doctors are deficient in vitamin D