INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VITAMIN D LEVELS AND SYSTEMIC IMMUNE INFLAMMATION INDEX PARAMETERS IN PEOPLE OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE

Introduction: Vitamin D exerts anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigated the relationship between vitamin D levels and inflammatory parameters in older adults. Materials and Method: This retrospective study included healthy older individuals aged >65 years treated at the Geriatrics Clinic of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Based on the exclusion criteria and simultaneous measurements of vitamin D levels, complete blood count, and C-reactive protein levels, 654 patients were included in the study. Systemic immune inflammatory parameters were calculated from complete blood counts. First, the correlations among vitamin D, C-reactive protein, and systemic immune inflammation parameters were investigated. Individuals were classified according to their vitamin D levels in deficient, insufficient, or normal groups. The groups were then compared for systemic immune inflammation and C-reactive protein levels. Results: C-reactive protein levels were negatively correlated with vitamin D levels and positively correlated with systemic immune inflammation parameters.Furthermore, a weak correlation was observed between systemic immune inflammation parameters and vitamin D. C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher in the deficient group than in the insufficient and normal groups. Systemic immune inflammatory parameters were significantly higher in the deficient and insufficiency groups than in the control group. Conclusion: Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased inflammation. Incorporating systemic immune inflammatory parameters into routine complete blood count reports will facilitate their clinical use. In the future, we plan to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between vitamin D and inflammation. Keywords: Vitamin D; Inflammation; Aged