Vitamin D status among adults in the Aegean region of Turkey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vitamin D is a lipid-soluble hormone found in certain foods and synthesized from precursors in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet light. Vitamin D plays a critical role in bone metabolism and many cellular and immunological processes and low levels have been associated with several chronic and infectious diseases. Vitamin D status is assessed by measuring the concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Vitamin D deficiency is reported to be common worldwide, but little has been reported about the vitamin D status of adults in Turkey. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in adults residing in a city in the Aegean region of Turkey.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A survey was conducted on a representative sample of adults over 20 years old in a non-coastal city at the end of the winter season. Of the 209 households selected by random sampling, 8.6% (n = 18) were unoccupied and 21.5% (n = 45) refused to participate. Blood samples were taken and questions about medical history, vitamin supplementation, sunlight exposure, and dietary calcium and vitamin D intake were asked in face-to-face interviews of 391 adults living in the remaining households.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 16.9±13.09 ng/mL, with 74.9% of the subjects having 25(OH)D deficiency (<20 ng/mL), 13.8% having insufficiency (20-29.99 ng/mL), and 11.3% of the subjects having sufficient 25(OH)D (≥30 ng/mL) levels. 25(OH)D deficiency was more common among females (78.7%) than males (66.4%, p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Adults living in an urban, non-coastal setting in Turkey have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.</p

Assessment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Sexual Function in Women with Metabolic Syndrome

Objective To assess lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual function in premenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Materials and Methods A total of 34 premenopausal patients over 18 years of age with MetS and who were admitted to our endocrinology clinic between September 2013 and April 2014 were included. Control group was consisted of 30 healthy controls chosen from the staff of the hospital. The sexual function, lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life of the participants were evaluated by using Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF), Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), respectively. The scores of the patients were statistically compared with those of controls. Results The mean ages of the patient and control groups were 40.50±5.12 years and 38.17±2.12 years, respectively (p=0.09). The mean IFSF-total and all of the IFSF sub scales (except pain) in the patient group were significantly lower than those of the control group. The mean UDI-6 score of the patients was significantly higher than the controls (p=0.001). The mean IIQ-7 scores of the patients was higher than controls, however this increase was not statistically significant (p=0.11). Conclusion These findings showed that MetS affected adversely the sexual function of premenopausal women due to the fact that IFSF scores were found to be lower in women with MetS as compared to healthy controls. Moreover, IFSF score under the threshold values in patients showed that patients with MetS had sexual function disorder. These lower urinary tract symptoms in the patients with MetS did not affect the quality of life although the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms of patients with MetS was significantly worse than that in control group

Evaluation of markers of inflammation, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction in children at risk for overweight

OBJECTIVE: Childhood obesity is associated with impaired endothelial function, insulin resistance and inflammation. Being at risk for overweight has been defined as having a body mass index (BMI) between the 85(th) and 94(th) percentile for age and sex. In this study, we looked for features linked to cardiovascular, risk in children who are at risk for overweight. DESIGN: Twenty-one children who were at risk for overweight (study group) and 20 children with a BMI between the 25(th)-74(th) percentiles (controls) were studied. Fasting blood levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, fibrinogen and high sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed in both groups. LDL-cholesterol, HOMA-IR and QUICKI indices were calculated. Flow-Mediated Vasodilatation (FMD) was determined for the evaluation of endothelial function. RESULTS: Increased HOMA-IR was observed in children who were at risk for overweight. Waist circumference was the main predictor of insulin resistance in these children. Higher levels of CRP were found in the study group compared to controls, while plasma fibrinogen died not differ in the two groups. The children who were at risk for overweight had lower FMD values and slightly elevated lipids compared to controls; however, these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Insulin resistance and inflammation indices were higher in children who were at risk for overweight as has been shown for obese children. The data suggest that appropriate treatment strategies for weight control are essential not only for obese children but also for those at risk for overweight

Clinical and demographic aspects of Paget disease of bone: A multicentric study from Turkey

Objective: Paget disease of bone (PDB) is a metabolic bone disease that has been rarely reported in the Eastern countries. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with PDB followed up at endocrinology clinics in Turkey. Methods: An invitation was sent to tertiary endocrinology clinics to complete a survey on the dernc:graphic, clinical, radiological, and laboratory parameters, as well as treatment modalities of patients with PDB. This study enrolled clinically and radiologically proven 185 patients with PDB from 18 endocrinology centers based in 10 cities of Turkey. Results: This cohort of PDB had female preponderance (women/men: 105/80) with a mean age, during diagnosis, of 57 +/- 10 years. Most of the patients (59.6%) were symptomatic at diagnosis. Bone pain and headache were the predominant clinical symptoms. Polyostotic disease was observed in 67.5% (n=125) of patients. Frequently affected bones were skull (41.6%), pelvis (53.5%), spine (41%), and femur (25.4%). Moreover, 17 patients with skull involvement had hearing loss. Mean serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level (552 +/- 652 IU/L; range: 280-5762 IU/L) was over the normal reference cutoff with normal serum calcium levels. Intravenous bisphosphonates (zoledronic acid, 5 mg; pamidronate, 60-90 mg) were the most used drugs (75%) for the treatment of PDB. Most of the patients (87.1%) treated with intravenous bisphosphonates responded well, with a decrease in serum ALP level (117 +/- 114 IU/L) in the 12th month of therapy. Furthermore, 16 patients relapsed after the second year of therapy; 3 patients did not respond to the initial intravenous bisphosphonate treatment. Conclusion: The patients with PDB followed up by endocrinology clinics of Turkey exhibited polyostotic disease with classical clinical, radiological, and biochemical features and women's predominance with good response to intravenous bisphosphonate therapy