[Disorders of vitamin D metabolism in clinical practice].

Results of recent studies give evidence of a pandemic of vitamin D deficiency due largely to insufficient exposure to sunlight. Epidemiological surveys demonstrated that vitamin B deficiency corresponding to blood calcidiol levels below 75 nmol/l or 30 ng/ml has negative effect on human health, increases the risk of cardiovascular disorders, malignant neoplasm, autoimmune and infectious diseases in proportion to the severity of deficit. Patients with extreme deficiency (calcidiol levels below 25 nmol/l or 10 ng/ ml) suffer osteomalation/rickets, diffuse muscular pain, myodystrophy, and enhanced risk of osteoporosis. Vitamin D replenishment reduces the risk of bone fracture, neoplastic growth, diabetes of both types, infectious, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. Being devoid of toxicity, vitamin D may be prescribed in a wide range of doses to patients from a variety of populations.