Vitamin D deficiency

, or hypovitaminosis D, is the medical condition resulting from the absence of appropriate levels of vitamin D in the body; Appropriate levels of vitamin D are essential for good bone health and, according to recent studies, for good cardiovascular health.

Vitamin D deficiency can depend on various factors, including: an inadequate sun exposure, an insufficient dietary intake of the vitamin in question, the presence of kidney or liver disease, an increased requirement and the intake of some specific drugs.

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The main consequences of vitamin D deficiency in humans are rickets, in young and very young subjects, and osteomalacia and osteoporosis, in adults.

To diagnose vitamin D deficiency, doctors resort to measuring blood levels of calcidiol, also known as 25-hydroxycalciferol.

The typical treatment of vitamin D deficiency consists of causal therapy and therapy aimed at immediately raising the vitamin deficiency levels.