Screening for Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to recommend for or against screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults.

Sponsoring Organization: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

Target Audience: Primary care providers

Background and Objective

Low serum levels of vitamin D have been associated with elevated risk for a number of adverse outcomes, including fractures. In this statement, the USPSTF evaluates evidence on screening for vitamin D deficiency in community-dwelling adults treated in primary care settings who have no signs or symptoms of vitamin D deficiency and no conditions for which vitamin D is recommended.

Key Points

Although several tests are available to measure serum vitamin D levels, their accuracy is unknown; no clear consensus exists on a threshold that defines vitamin D deficiency, but commonly cited thresholds are 20 and 30 ng/mL fo…

Reviewing Author

Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportColorado Health Foundation