Practice implications for preventing population vulnerability related to vitamin D status.

PURPOSE

To provide primary care clinicians with practice recommendations for the safe, individualized, effective, efficient evaluation, and treatment of vitamin D status for maximum health promotion and disease prevention.

DATA SOURCES

A review and synthesis of current scientific literature on vitamin D was conducted related to the physiologic impact of vitamin D, topics of debate, research and recommendations, adequate serum levels, daily supplementation, and deficiency treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Inadequate vitamin D levels are not isolated to any one geographic, ethnic, or socioeconomic population, and exist without regard to gender, age, or health status. Conflicting vitamin D evidence and recommendations may leave patients vulnerable to vitamin D inadequacy, deficiency, or excess, and in turn, avoidable negative outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NPS

Nurse practitioners (NPs) must actively assess patient vitamin D status and educate patients in order to prevent negative health outcomes. Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is an easy and cost-efficient adjunct to other health promotion and disease prevention measures. NPs who neglect the physiologic roles of vitamin D and potential patient vulnerability miss an opportunity to make an impact in both patient health and the economic healthcare burden related to acute and chronic disease.