Data from previous studies demonstrate the high frequency of deficiency and insufficiency of vitamin D in Ukraine, as in the world, which varies depending on the age and gender of the population, the season, the region of residence, and the type of concomitant pathology. The purpose of the study was to assess the vitamin D status in the Ukraine population during 2016-2022 years depending on age, sex, month, and year of observation. In a single-center cohort study, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was analyzed in 7105 subjects aged 20-99 years. The analysis was performed depending on age, sex, month, and year of observation. The mean serum 25(OH)D level in the total group was 30.9 [22.1-41.0] ng/ml, the lowest level was in the age group 90-99 years old and the highest one was in the subjects aged 40-69 years old. 52.7% of the subjects had a sufficient vitamin D level, 27.4% had insufficiency, and 19.9% had a deficiency of vitamin D. No gender differences were found in the serum level of 25(OH)D, except the one for the women aged 60-69 years old, who had higher vitamin D levels compared to males parameters. Seasonal 25(OH)D levels variations indicated the highest values in September and October and the lowest ones in February and March. Additionally, we established the increase of serum 25(OH)D from 2016 to 2021 with the highest values in 2020 and 2021. Our data confirmed a decrease in vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in 2021 and 2022 in the Ukrainian population compared to previous years (2016-2019) and previous studies in the Ukrainian population while maintaining their age-related and seasonal characteristics. It may be associated with an improvement in public awareness of global vitamin D deficiency and its positive skeletal and extraskeletal effects, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years.

Background. Data from numerous studies indicate a significant prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Ukraine and the world. In recent years, the Ukrainian medical community has faced two important challenges — the COVID-19 pandemic and the russian aggression, which significantly affected the organization and availability of medical care. Despite the previous epidemiological studies in Ukraine devoted to the vitamin D status, there are no data during the past 5 years that became the background for this research. The purpose was to analyze the vitamin D status in the adult population of Ukraine during the COVID-19 pandemic and russian aggression. Materials and methods. Data of the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in 5029 adults aged 20–99 years, who for various reasons applied for its measurement, were retrospectively analyzed. The analysis was performed depending on the year and month of observation, the age and gender of the subjects, and the 25(OH)D level. Results. The mean serum level of 25(OH)D in the total group was 33.2 [24.1–43.8] ng/ml. The assessment of the number of 25(OH)D tests for 2018–2022 did not reveal any signi­ficant differences in 2018 and 2019 but established a significant decrease during the russian aggression in Ukraine in 2022 (by 55.7 %) compared to 2018, as well as indices during the COVID-19 pandemic (by 21.6 % compared to 2020, by 23.5 % in 2021). During the observation period, it was established a decrease in the vitamin D deficiency proportion from 20.6 % in 2018 to 9.3 % in 2022, and an increase in the proportion of subjects with suboptimal (from 6.6 to 11.4 %, respectively) and high serum concentrations of 25(OH)D (from 2.2 to 12.7 %). Conclusions. Our results indicate a grown serum 25(OH)D level during 2020–2022 in the adult population of Ukraine compared to the indices of previous years and a decreased share of vitamin D deficiency in the Ukrainian population. In addition, a decrease in the number of 25(OH)D level tests was established, especially during the period of the russian aggression, which should be taken into account during the planning measures to optimize the vitamin D status in the adult population of Ukraine.

Background. At present, FRAX is a well-known and widely-used risk assessment tool for major osteoporotic fractures. The Ukrainian version of the FRAX algorithm was presented in 2016; with the “intervention threshold” for additional DXA exa­mination and antiosteoporotic treatment of the Ukrainian women published in 2019. However, the data on its possible uses in men are limited. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the possibilities of using the previously developed criteria of the Ukrainian FRAX algorithm in Ukrainian men. Materials and me­thods. We exa­mined 653 outpatients aged 40–88 years (mean age (M ± SD) — 60.5 ± 11.8 years). We analyzed the results both in the general group and in the age subgroups; in particular, with an account of low-trauma fractures, included in the FRAX calculation, and compared them with the corresponding indices of the Ukrainian wo­men. Results. The most frequent (26.6 %) risk factor for osteoporo­tic fractures in the group of Ukrainian men was a history of low-trauma fracture (the corresponding index in women was 51.3 %), its presence being the reason for antiosteoporotic treatment initia­ting. Following upon the risk of major osteoporotic fractures calculated by FRAX, only 6.7 % of men without previous fractures were found to require additional DXA examination in order to re-evaluate the osteoporotic fracture risk, and none had a high fracture risk. 73 % of men without fractures did not have any risk factor inclu­ded in the FRAX algorithm. Conclusions. This study showed a grea­ter need for both antiosteoporotic treatment without DXA assessment and additional densitometric examination for the osteoporotic fracture risk assessment for the Ukrainian women rather than men, along with a special attention to the presence of previous fractures in men, and consideration of other risk factors for osteoporosis, even those not included in this FRAX algorithm.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine, femoral neck, trabecular bone score (TBS) and body mass index (BMI), in postmenopausal women with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and methods: The study group comprised 359 postmenopausal women aged 50-89 years. They were divided into 2 groups: I group – 117 postmenopausal women with symptomatic knee OA and II group –242 women with a normal functional activity of knee joints. Analysis of data was performed taking into account their BMD of lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femoral neck, measured by the Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) Hologic (Discovery WI, USA, 2016). TBS of L1-L4 was detected by TBS insight® software (MedImaps, Pessac, France), and BMI classified by World Health Organization (WHO). Results: In postmenopausal women with obesity prevalence of symptomatic knee OA was detected in 41.1% of cases. However, in women with normal BMI knee OA was revealed in 29.0% of women. The highest level of knee OA in obese women aged 70-79 years – 45.8%. According to a chi-squared (χ2) test, a significantly higher level of BMI was detected in postmenopausal women with OA (χ2=5.05, p=0.02). Conclusion: Women with a symptomatic OA had a significantly higher BMD of lumbar spine compared with women who had a normal functional activity of knee. Significant negative correlation were detected between TBS and BMI, and significant positive correlations between lumbar spine BMD and BMI.

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