PREVALENCE OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN PATIENTS ADMITTED TO REHABILITATION UNIT

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This is an observational study of patients admitted to the Transitional Care Unit rehabilitation facility in the East Newton Medical Center. The goal of the study is to determine vitamin D deficiency and to characterize the extent of osteoporosis in this population. Vitamin D deficiency is a chronic problem seen in all age groups and a variety of ethnic groups. Recently, it is recognized that vitamin D deficiency is especially common problem in hospitalized and nursing home patients. Advanced age, inadequate vitamin D intake, and housebound living put patients at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency, but on its own are insufficient to predict vitamin deficiency. Vitamin D status is important for the health and well being of patients after recent hospitalization for an acute illness or surgery. Given the nature of the patient population admitted for rehabilitation at the Transitional Care Unit, we believe that it is important to characterize the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this subgroup. To achieve the goals of the study, subjects enrolled in the study will have blood drawn (to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], parathyroid hormone, calcium, albumin, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase and serum CTX) answer a short questionnaire and undergo bone densitometry to measure their bone density. A total of 100 subjects will be enrolled in this study. With this study we hope to increase awareness in the medical community of the vitamin D and osteoporosis status of patients in rehabilitation units.