It is now established that vitamin D acts as a steroid hormone via a nuclear receptor to perform its varied functions in mineral metabolism. Very few studies in sub-Saharan Africa, and in Senegal in particular, have focused on the prevalence of low vitamin D reserves in black individuals living in this sunny region. We conducted this study to assess the prevalence of a drop in vitamin D reserves in a population of blacks undergoing intermittent hemodialysis. This descriptive study took place at three hemodialysis centers in Dakar and included 37 patients whose 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) levels had been assayed. The patients' mean age was 51 years, and their sex ratio 1.49. The average concentration of 25-OH-D was 70 nmol/L. Below-normal reserves were found in 23 patients (62.2%), especially among those aged 50-75 years. All patients with low 25-OH-D reserves received vitamin D3 supplementation at a dose of 100,000 IU of cholecalciferol per month. This supplementation normalized 25-OH-D levels in the 10 patients subsequently tested. Given the small sample size, a study with a larger number of patients is needed to reach a conclusion about the exact prevalence of low vitamin D reserves in this population and to investigate possible associated factors.
Keywords: Senegal; hemodialysis; vitamin D deficiency.