English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies are major public health problems; they may result from inappropriate low exposure to sunlight, autoimmune diseases or diminished intake. These two deficiencies have been extensively studied globally: causes, e!ects, treatment, as well as epidemiology. In Palestine the epidemiology of vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies has not been addressed. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies in patients reporting to the West Bank (WB) governmental hospitals in the period between January 2015 and December 2018. It is a retrospective cross-sectional study for the data collected from medical records of patients tested for these deficiencies in 12 WB governmental hospitals for the three years period. Out of 30890 patients tested for vitamin D levels, 88% had insu"cient vitamin D levels (< 30 ng/ml), whereas out of 43532 patients tested for vitamin B12, 19% had insu"cient vitamin B12 levels (< 203 pg/ml). The percentage of patients with insu"cient vitamin D levels is alarming. The percentage of patients with insu"cient vitamin B12 levels falls within ranges reported by other studies in various countries. In conclusion, this study revealed an alarmingly high percentage (88%) of vitamin D deficiency below the reference su"ciency level among patients suspected to have such a deficiency. Around one fifth of the patients tested for vitamin B12 had insu"cient levels. Because testing for vitamin D is costly, we suggest, that medical suspicion of vitamin D deficiency would be adequate to initiate treatment to alleviate the expense, especially in high-risk groups such as elderly women. Future studies have to address major risk factors contributing to these deficiencies that are specific to our community. * Correspondance: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine E-mail: dbitar@sta!.alquds.edu / Tel: +972599909975 c copy rights 2021: All materials in this article is protected, permission requests should be addressed Al-Quds University. www.alquds.edu Introduction Vitamin D and vitamin B12 play critical roles in the human body and in its development. Vitamin D was previously associated with calcium absorption and healthy bones only. Nowadays, with more recent studies showing that the vitamin D receptor is present on almost all cell membranes (Szabó 2011), we understand that it has more sophisticated functions. For example, potent inhibition of cellular growth and renin production, stimulation for insulin release, intrinsic factor production, and immune modulation (Haroon & Regan, 2010). Vitamin D deficiency leads to a variety of conditions starting with mild muscle pain and weakness to increased risk of osteoporosis or worse yet cancers and autoimmune diseases (Sahota, 2014). Vitamin D3 is obtained from the diet and from sunlight exposure. It is formed in the skin as a result of exposure to UBV radiation between 280

Prevalence of Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Patients reporting to the West Bank governmental hospitals in the period between January 2015 and December 2018