Influence of Severe Vitamin D Deficiency on the Clinical Course of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background Previous studies have shown vitamin D status to be associated with disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but its influence on the clinical course of IBD has not been established. Aims We aimed to analyze whether the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D] status is associated with clinical characteristics and affects the risk of surgery in patients with IBD. Methods From the IBD registry of the Asan Medical Center, we identified all patients who had at least one 25(OH)D measurement; we then analyzed the association between clinical factors and 25(OH)D status. 25(OH)D was considered borderline deficient, deficient, and severely deficient at levels of