Requests for vitamin D testing are on the increase and three laboratories, in Coventry, Kingston and central London, are reaping the benefits of using an Elecsys assay from Roche. Dawn Wallace reports.
As the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the UK increases,1 the chief medical officers for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have taken action by reminding health professionals of the need to recommend vitamin D supplements to certain at-risk groups.2 Growing awareness of the importance of vitamin D for health and wellbeing has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of vitamin D status test requests in many laboratories around the country. To cope with these increasing workloads, laboratories need an analytical method that is easy and cost-effective to perform in large numbers, while ensuring accuracy, reliability and appropriate turnaround times.
Importance of vitamin D
Vitamin D is extremely important for human health and wellbeing. It s involved in the regulation of calcium and other nutrients required for strong, healthy bones, and it may also be involved in other physiological processes, such as cell differentiation/proliferation and immune function.3,4
For most people, the majority of vitamin D required by the body is produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight. It can also be found in certain foods, such as oily fish, red meat and egg yolk, as well as in fortified spreads and cereals. If insufficient levels are synthesised endogenously, dietary supply or supplementation is essential.
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