S1879 Vitamin C Deficiency in Patients With IBD: Prevalence and Associations With Other Micronutrient Deficiencies

Introduction: Vitamin C plays a crucial role in immune function, tissue repair, and antioxidant activity. While micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, are common among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there is limited data on vitamin C deficiency in this population. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of Vitamin C deficiency in IBD patients and to determine if there is an association with other micronutrient deficiencies. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of adult patients (ages 18–85) with IBD treated at Emory University clinics between December 2019 and September 2024. Data was extracted from Epic electronic health records, including laboratory values, diagnoses, demographics, and nutritional assessments. Pediatric, pregnant and incarcerated patients were excluded. Data on Vitamin D, B12, and iron status, as well as disease duration and severity, were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to determine prevalence. Logistic regression models identified factors associated with Vitamin C deficiency, and only variables with a P value < 0.2 from univariate analysis were included in a multivariate model. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant and all tests were 2-tailed. Results: The final sample included 230 patients (mean age 45; 60.4% female) with 74 patients (32.2%) having Vitamin C deficiency. Amongst the patients with Vitamin C deficiency, it was found that 51 (68.9%) also had coexisting Vitamin D deficiency, 45 (60.8%) had an iron deficiency, and 11 (14.9%) had a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 and iron deficiency were not found to have significant association to Vitamin C deficiency on univariate and multivariate analysis. However, multivariate logistic regression did show that Vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with Vitamin C deficiency (OR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.33, 5.03; P = 0.005). Conclusion: Nearly one-third of IBD patients were found to have Vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C deficiency was strongly associated with Vitamin D deficiency. Despite not being statistically significant, there were high rates of iron deficiency amongst the Vitamin C deficient patients. Although Vitamin B12 deficiency was less prevalent, it remains clinically relevant. These findings support the necessity of routine nutritional screening and targeted interventions to address coexisting deficiencies in patients with IBD.