According to a recent study, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among South Asians living in the UK is substantially high.
An observational, cross-sectional study analysed 6433 individuals of South Asian ethnicity from the UK Biobank having valid baseline data for serum 25(OH)D concentration.
Among participants with a 25(OH)D measurement, 92% had 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L (insufficiency), 55% had 25(OH)D <25 nmol/L (severe deficiency) and 20% had 25(OH)D concentration <15 nmol/L (very severe deficiency).
Male sex, Pakistani ethnicity, higher body mass index, age between 40 and 59 years, never consuming oily fish, summer sun exposure less than five hours a day, not taking a vitamin D supplement, measurement in winter or spring and vegetarian lifestyle were factors associated with a higher likelihood of severe vitamin D deficiency. In terms of region, Scotland had the lowest and London had the highest median 25(OH)D concentration.
Writing in the British Journal of Nutrition, the authors said: "Our analyses suggest there is an urgent need for public health interventions to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency in UK South Asians.
"As a consequence, reducing vitamin D deficiency will help reduce rates of non-communicable diseases in this population group," they added.
The NHS already advises people from a South Asian background to consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year.
This article originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.
