High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in healthy elderly people living at home in Argentina

Objective : To evaluate the nutritional status of vitamin D in urban populations of healthy elderly people living at home, in different regions of Argentina. Design : Cross-sectional study. Subjects : In total, 386 ambulatory subjects over 65 y of age from seven cities (between latitude 26°S and 55°S) were asked to participate between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Of these, 369 accepted, 30 were excluded because of medical history or abnormal biochemical determinations. Finally, 339 subjects (226 women and 113 men) ( X ±s.d.) (71.3± 5.2 y) were included. Results : Serum 25OHD levels were lowest in the South (latitude range: 41°S–55°S): 14.2±5.6 ng/ml ( P