Vitamin D (25 OH)

Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the UK, with low levels now known to cause weakened immune systems and fatigue as well good bone health. It is manufactured in the skin through sunlight exposure and is found in several foods. Prolonged Vitamin D lack can cause osteomalacia in adults (ricketts in childhood), diseases which causes severe structural deformities to the skeleton.

Lower level Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a number of non-specific symptoms, including chronic pain, weak bones, frequent infections depression and fatigue.

It has been estimated that between 50-70% of people living in the northern Europe (where daylight length reduces your chances of receiving adequate sunlight in the winter) are deficient in this vitamin by March each year which is why health screening for this important vitamin is essential.

What is a vitamin D blood test for?

A Vitamin D Blood Test is usually conducted to determine if a patient has the correct level of Vitamin D in their blood.

What are the signs of low vitamin D?

If a patient is deficient in Vitamin D they may show signs such as Bone Pain/Weakness, Muscle Pain/Weakness, Fatigue, Mood Changes/Depression, Frequent Infections, Hair Loss and more.

What level of vitamin D is too low?

Typically levels of Vitamin D are measured in nmol/L (nanomoles per liter), if a patient is low in Vitamin D we would expect this to be less than 50 nmol/L, however, this may differ depending on which laboratory has been used for testing. If a patient's results did show that they had deficient or excessive levels of Vitamin D this would be highlighted on the laboratory report.