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Nutrition and Health (including climate and ecological aspects)

Tracking of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D during 21 years

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 75, pages 1069–1076 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

Our objective was to evaluate the degree of tracking for serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] over time, by using data from three previously conducted surveys of the Tromsø study collected in the years 1994/1995 (Tromsø 4), 2007/2008 (Tromsø 6), and 2015/2016 (Tromsø 7).

Subjects/methods

Subjects with valid 25(OH)D measurements in all three surveys were included. 25(OH)D z-scores were used to adjust for seasonal variation. Z-scores and sextiles were used to illustrate tracking of 25(OH)D.

Results

1702 subjects (572 males, 1130 females) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Median (5th, 95th percentiles) age for these subjects was 55 (33, 65) years in Tromsø 4, and mean (SD) 25(OH)D levels were 57 (18) nmol/L, 59 (19) nmol/L, and 72 (21) nmol/L for Tromsø 4, Tromsø 6, and Tromsø 7, respectively. There was significant tracking of serum 25(OH)D over the 21 years period between the surveys of the Tromsø study. The correlation coefficient r between 25(OH)D z-scores from Tromsø 4 and Tromsø 6 was 0.40, and declined to 0.29 for the correlation between Tromsø 4 and Tromsø 7. Twenty-six percent of the subjects in the lowest 25(OH)D z-score sextile in Tromsø 4 were in the three highest sextiles of 25(OH)D in Tromsø 7. Similarly, 35% of those in the highest sextile in Tromsø 4 were in the lowest three sextiles in Tromsø 7.

Conclusions

The degree of tracking for serum 25(OH)D declines over time, and the use of a single serum 25(OH)D measurement as an indicator of the vitamin-D status is questionable if used in long-lasting observational studies.

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Fig. 1: Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in relation to month of blood sampling (1 = January, 2 = February etc.) in the 1702 subjects in the sixth survey of the Tromsø study.

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Acknowledgements

This article would not be possible without the work of the people engaged in the Tromsø survey and the Tromsø population taking part in the surveys year after year. We would also like to thank Yngve Figenschau at the Division of Diagnostic Services and Department of Clinical Medicine—UiT/UNN for assistance with the CV of the analyses included in the “Materials and method” section.

Funding

The study was supported by grants from the North Norway Regional Health Authorities (Grant number SFP1277-16) and UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tromsø Endocrine Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Julia Kubiak, Elena Kamycheva & Rolf Jorde

  2. Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Elena Kamycheva & Rolf Jorde

Authors
  1. Julia Kubiak
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Contributions

RJ and EK were responsible for designing the protocol. JK was responsible for doing the analyses and drafting the manuscript. JK, EK, and RJ all participated in finalizing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julia Kubiak.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

The Tromsø Study is approved by the Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics (REK) and this investigation is covered by this approval.

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All included subjects signed a written informed consent.

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Kubiak, J., Kamycheva, E. & Jorde, R. Tracking of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D during 21 years. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 1069–1076 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00814-0

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