Prevalence Of Vitamin D Deficiency In Adult Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Persons At District Hospital In Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract: Background : The increased availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) infected patients has led to significant reduction in mortality. However, there is increasing evidence t hat stable HIV positive patients on HAART have chronic underlying inflammation. This leads to premature age associated non - Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( AIDS ) related events. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in HIV positive patients has been associated wit h disease progression , chronic non - communicable diseases and increased mortality. Both HIV and HAART have been shown to increase the risk of VDD . Furthermore, s upplementation of vitamin D has been shown to reduce HAART related bone mineral density loss by up to 50% . Objective: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D def iciency in adult HIV infected persons at Mbagathi district hospital. Design: Hospital based cross sectional descriptive study . Setting: Comprehensive C are C linic at Mbagathi district hospita l located in Nairobi County. Subjects: 128 HIV infected persons who gave consent. R esults: 68% of the p atients were fe males. The mean age was 41 years. Eight ( 6.3%) patients were classified as vitamin D d eficient 25 hydroxyvitamin D ( 25(OH) D) < 20 ng/ml , whil e thirty - eight (29.7%) had vitamin D insufficiency 25(OH)D 21 - 29 ng/ml and eighty - two ( 6 4%) patients had normal levels 25(OH)D 30 - 100 ng/ml . HAART naïve patients were 5.3 times more lik ely to have VDD . We did not find any associations betwe en vitamin D and a ge, gender, body mass index (BMI) , WHO stage and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) .