Frequency of Vitamin D Deficiency in Cirrhotic Versus Non-Cirrhotic Liver Disease Patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency of vitamin D levels between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic liver disease patients. METHODOLOGY: This retrospective comparative cross-sectional study compressed 296 diagnosed chronic liver disease patients who visited the Department of Gastroenterology at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, fulfilling the study inclusion criteria. Demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, sex, disease duration, etiology and severity of all patients were obtained. Cirrhotic status and vitamin D levels were noted. Data was analyzed on Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 22. RESULTS: The mean age was 41.48+/-9.88 years, and the mean vitamin D level in chronic liver disease patients was 14.61+/-8.37 (ng/ml). In cirrhosis and non-cirrhosis patients, mean vitamin D levels were (12.97 vs 16.08; P: 0.001), respectively. Significantly reduced levels were observed in Cirrhotic patients. In cirrhotic patients, vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent than the non-cirrhotic group (80.7% vs 66%; P: 0.004); overall, 73% of chronic liver disease patients were diagnosed as vitamin D deficient. CONCLUSION: In chronic liver disease patients, liver cirrhosis increases the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency. Factors like young age, male sex, and etiology (hepatitis C virus) strongly correlate with vitamin D deficiency. Furthermore, patients with advanced liver disease are more prone to be vitamin D deficient.