Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015
ObjectiveTo investigate trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency and the prevalence of patients with circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) indicative of deficiency (<30 nmol/L) between 2005 and 2015.DesignLongitudinal analysis of electronic health reco...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2019-06-01
|
Series: | BMJ Open |
Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/6/e028355.full |
id |
doaj-64752878d1dc40469c29f57d0d0361e7 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-64752878d1dc40469c29f57d0d0361e72021-07-03T12:33:12ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-06-019610.1136/bmjopen-2018-028355Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015Kate Jolly0Francesca L Crowe1Neil Gittoes2Martin Hewison3Robert Scragg41 Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK 1 Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK Centre for Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK7 Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK 3 School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand ObjectiveTo investigate trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency and the prevalence of patients with circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) indicative of deficiency (<30 nmol/L) between 2005 and 2015.DesignLongitudinal analysis of electronic health records in The Health Improvement Network primary care database.SettingUK primary care.InterventionNone.ParticipantsThe analysis included 6 416 709 participants aged 18 years and older.Primary outcomesIncidence of having a blood test for vitamin D deficiency between 2005 and 2015, the prevalence with blood 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L and the effects of age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status on these measures were assessed.ResultsAfter a mean follow-up time of 5.4 (SD 3.7) years, there were 210 502 patients tested for vitamin D deficiency. The incidence of vitamin D testing rose from 0.29 per 1000 person-years at risk (PYAR) (95% CI 0.27 to 0.31) in 2005 to 16.1 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 15.9 to 16.2) in 2015. Being female, older, non-white ethnicity and more economically deprived were all strongly associated with being tested. One-third (n=69 515) had 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L, but the per cent deficient among ethnic minority groups ranged from 43% among mixed ethnicity to 66% in Asians. Being male, younger and more economically deprived were also all associated with vitamin D deficiency (p<0.001).ConclusionsTesting for vitamin D deficiency increased over the past decade among adults in the UK. One-third of UK adults who had a vitamin D test performed in primary care were vitamin D deficient, and deficiency was much higher among ethnic minority patients. Future research should focus on strategies to ensure population intake of vitamin D, particularly in at-risk groups, meets recommendations to reduce the risk of deficiency and need for testing.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/6/e028355.full |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Kate Jolly Francesca L Crowe Neil Gittoes Martin Hewison Robert Scragg |
spellingShingle |
Kate Jolly Francesca L Crowe Neil Gittoes Martin Hewison Robert Scragg Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015 BMJ Open |
author_facet |
Kate Jolly Francesca L Crowe Neil Gittoes Martin Hewison Robert Scragg |
author_sort |
Kate Jolly |
title |
Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015 |
title_short |
Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015 |
title_full |
Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015 |
title_fullStr |
Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency in primary care in the UK: a retrospective analysis of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), 2005–2015 |
title_sort |
trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin d deficiency in primary care in the uk: a retrospective analysis of the health improvement network (thin), 2005–2015 |
publisher |
BMJ Publishing Group |
series |
BMJ Open |
issn |
2044-6055 |
publishDate |
2019-06-01 |
description |
ObjectiveTo investigate trends in the incidence of testing for vitamin D deficiency and the prevalence of patients with circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) indicative of deficiency (<30 nmol/L) between 2005 and 2015.DesignLongitudinal analysis of electronic health records in The Health Improvement Network primary care database.SettingUK primary care.InterventionNone.ParticipantsThe analysis included 6 416 709 participants aged 18 years and older.Primary outcomesIncidence of having a blood test for vitamin D deficiency between 2005 and 2015, the prevalence with blood 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L and the effects of age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status on these measures were assessed.ResultsAfter a mean follow-up time of 5.4 (SD 3.7) years, there were 210 502 patients tested for vitamin D deficiency. The incidence of vitamin D testing rose from 0.29 per 1000 person-years at risk (PYAR) (95% CI 0.27 to 0.31) in 2005 to 16.1 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 15.9 to 16.2) in 2015. Being female, older, non-white ethnicity and more economically deprived were all strongly associated with being tested. One-third (n=69 515) had 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L, but the per cent deficient among ethnic minority groups ranged from 43% among mixed ethnicity to 66% in Asians. Being male, younger and more economically deprived were also all associated with vitamin D deficiency (p<0.001).ConclusionsTesting for vitamin D deficiency increased over the past decade among adults in the UK. One-third of UK adults who had a vitamin D test performed in primary care were vitamin D deficient, and deficiency was much higher among ethnic minority patients. Future research should focus on strategies to ensure population intake of vitamin D, particularly in at-risk groups, meets recommendations to reduce the risk of deficiency and need for testing. |
url |
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/6/e028355.full |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT katejolly trendsintheincidenceoftestingforvitaminddeficiencyinprimarycareintheukaretrospectiveanalysisofthehealthimprovementnetworkthin20052015 AT francescalcrowe trendsintheincidenceoftestingforvitaminddeficiencyinprimarycareintheukaretrospectiveanalysisofthehealthimprovementnetworkthin20052015 AT neilgittoes trendsintheincidenceoftestingforvitaminddeficiencyinprimarycareintheukaretrospectiveanalysisofthehealthimprovementnetworkthin20052015 AT martinhewison trendsintheincidenceoftestingforvitaminddeficiencyinprimarycareintheukaretrospectiveanalysisofthehealthimprovementnetworkthin20052015 AT robertscragg trendsintheincidenceoftestingforvitaminddeficiencyinprimarycareintheukaretrospectiveanalysisofthehealthimprovementnetworkthin20052015 |
_version_ |
1721320960067371008 |