Preoperative Vitamin D Status in Potential Bariatric Surgery Patients

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been described in a variety of population groups. Specifically, the vitamin D status in pre-operative bariatric patients is a growing concern in the field of weight reduction surgery, where gastric bypass may exacerbate a preexisting deficiency or insufficiency. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the vitamin D status in pre-operative bariatric patients and to compare results according to race, gender, Body Mass Index, and age. Setting: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. Methods: Our study cohort included 235 morbidly obese adult patients who presented for bariatric surgery. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D were tested and categorized as insufficient (20-80 nmol/L or 8-32 ng/mL), deficient (15-20 nmol/L or 6-8 ng/mL), or severely deficient (<15 nmol/L or 6 ng/mL). Results were compared by BMI groups (35-39.9, 40-49.9, 50-59.9, or >60 in kg/m(2)), age groups (<35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, or >65), race (black or white), and gender. Results: Thirty-six percent of our cohort had severe vitamin D deficiency, and the remaining 64% were deficient or insufficient in vitamin D. Results showed a statistical difference among the three vitamin D categories for BMI, race, and gender groups but not between age groups. Conclusion: Understanding which characteristics of the morbidly obese population are associated with poor vitamin D status will aid in identifying high-risk groups to allow for adequate repletion of vitamin D before weight reduction surgery. More research is needed to understand why the morbidly obese population in general suffers from vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency.