Prevalence of vitamin deficiencies in an apparently healthy urban adult population: Assessed by subclinical status and dietary intakes.

Objectives: Studies in children and pregnant women consistently showed pandemic proportions of micronutrient deficiencies in the Indian subcontinent. However, vitamin deficiencies in apparently healthy adults are seldom recognized, hence the aim of this exploratory study was to assess their subclinical vitamin status and dietary intakes.

Methods: In all, 270 apparently healthy urban adults 30 to 70 y of age, from Hyderabad city, India participated in this study. Blood levels of vitamins (A, B, B, B, total and active B, D, and folate) and homocysteine were assessed. Anthropometric parameters were measured; dietary intake was obtained by food frequency questionnaire, and probability of adequacy (PA) was calculated by the estimated average requirement.

Results: Among the study population, the overall prevalence of deficiency of vitamin B was strikingly high (50%) followed by the vitamins B (46%), active B (46%), total B (37%), folate (32%), D (29%), B (11%), and A (6%). Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcys) was widely prevalent (52%) in the study participants. In case of dietary intakes, PA was lowest for vitamin B (4%) and folate (9%) followed by vitamins A (22%), B (33%), B (30%), and B (59%). The mean PA of these vitamins was noticeably low (28%). The unadjusted logistic regression analysis found men and those with a deficiency of folate and total and active B to be at higher risk for HHcys. In the adjusted model, the risk for active B deficiency almost doubled.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated a high prevalence of multiple subclinical vitamin deficiencies, dietary inadequacies, and HHcys, which are possible risk factors for disease burden among apparently healthy adults.