New research show that Vitamin D deficiency is widespread across Dublin and surrounding Irish counties, in one of the largest studies ever carried out in Europe.
The research from the Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) and Trinity College Dublin examined blood levels of vitamin D from 36,466 patients over a five year period (2014 – 2018) and found that 1 in 6 were deficient, rising to 1 in 4 in the winter.
The study was partially funded by Ireland’s leading dairy brand Avonmore and builds on a longstanding collaboration between MISA and Avonmore.
Vitamin D is important as it contributes to the maintenance of bone and muscle health and helps support a healthy immune system. Using a tool known as geo-mapping, the researchers were able to create a visual map of vitamin D levels across Dublin and East Leinster.
Researchers identified large variations in vitamin D status between adults of different ages and locations. The study found that vitamin D deficiency is a problem for everyone as surprisingly, the youngest participants in the cohort (18-39 years category) had the lowest vitamin D levels as did those in the ‘older’ category (80+ years). It also found that in general men had much lower levels than women.
Dr Kevin McCarroll, study co-author and Clinical Senior Lecturer & Consultant Physician at St James’s Hospital, Dublin stated: “The study highlights how vitamin D deficiency is relatively common and affects all age groups. The striking differences in the prevalence of deficiency within Dublin and other areas is likely due to factors such as dietary vitamin D intake, supplement use, sun exposure and also ethnicity affecting the skin’s capacity to make vitamin D from sunshine. Increasing vitamin D intake in the winter when deficiency is prevalent is a good idea for many people.”