Vitamin D levels of patients attended at the laboratories of the Caja de Seguro Social Year 2021-2022 Chiriquí Province.

Abstract

Abstract
Introduction: Vitamin D is a crucial hormone in bone mineral metabolism, and in recent years, there has been a notable interest in studying the variation in vitamin D levels due to its association with various diseases. Objective: To establish the levels of vitamin D in patients attended at the Social Security Fund (CSS) laboratories in the province of Chiriquí from 2021 to 2022. Methodology: Study data were collected from the CSS laboratory database. It is a retrospective study with a non-experimental design, where the patients' age is related to their vitamin D levels, conducted in the entire population attended at the CSS laboratories in the province of Chiriquí. Additionally, normal and deficient levels of vitamin D were related to gender, place of residence, and season of the year. Results: The results demonstrate that more than half of the population has vitamin D levels below the recommended level. Furthermore, we found that men had a higher percentage of recommended levels of vitamin D compared to women, who had levels below the recommended range. Conclusion: The study results suggest a probable widespread deficiency of Vitamin D in the population. Our study sets a precedent for future research, with findings that can guide healthcare personnel in identifying at-risk groups and targeting prevention and treatment efforts.