Vitamin D 1,25 - Dihydroxy Test

Vitamin D3 is a form of Vitamin D compound that is essential for the body to maintain its bones and teeth in good shape for its entire life. Vitamin D3 Test means that your body will be checked for assessing the present levels of this essential Vitamin.

Vitamin D is not used directly by the body. The process of converting Vitamin D into a usable nutrient for the body starts when Vitamin D enters the body either through sun rays touching the skin or through dietary sources such as fish, eggs, and dairy products.

Once it enters the body, the Vitamin gets converted in the liver into a compound called 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (or Calcidiol). Once this conversion takes place, it becomes the best stage to test the levels of Vitamin D (and Vitamin D3) in the body.

Vitamin D3 helps in the absorption of important nutrients in the body. These nutrients include Phosphate and Calcium. Additionally, Vitamin also helps in maintaining the proper growth of the bones and teeth.

The Vitamin D3 Test helps your healthcare practitioner in evaluating any possible deficiencies or excess of Vitamin D3 in the body that can have an adverse effect on your health.

In India, the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency is a cause of public health concern. The population of India is facing a large number of cases of Vitamin D deficiency.

In such a scenario, it becomes important to make sure that you and your family members are having adequate levels of Vitamin D and are keeping your bones healthy.

Other Names of Vitamin D3 Test

• Calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D) Test
• Calcifediol (25-hydroxy-vitamin D) Test
• 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Test
• Cholecalciferol Test

What does Vitamin D3 Test Detect, and Who is it Prescribed for?

The Vitamin D3 Test measures the levels of Vitamin D3 in the body. It becomes useful in the following situations:

• The diagnosis of Vitamin D deficiency caused diseases

The Vitamin D3 Test is used in the diagnosis of various bone weakness disorders caused predominantly due to a Vitamin D3 deficiency in the body. Some bone health disorders falling under this category include Osteomalacia (a disease where bones become soft and can be fractured easily), Osteoporosis (bones become weak and more vulnerable to injuries), and Rickets (weak bones in children caused by Vitamin D deficiency).

• In monitoring the progress of Vitamin D deficiency treatment

People who have already been diagnosed with a Vitamin D deficiency are sometimes put on treatment by their healthcare practitioners. To monitor the progress of this treatment, doctors often make their patients take the Vitamin D3 Test.

• People who have undergone the Bariatric Surgery

Following Bariatric Surgery, many patients end up taking a reduced diet. This inadequate diet can often lead to a Vitamin D3 deficiency. So, to monitor the after-effects of the surgery, healthcare practitioners recommend the Vitamin D3 Test to their patients.

Apart from the following situations, a Vitamin D3 Test may also be suggested to people who show the following symptoms that are indicative of a deficiency:

• People with gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s Disease
• Weakness in bones
• Frequently getting fractured bones
• Excessive fatigue and feeling tired all the time

The Vitamin D3 Test can be recommended for all age groups and genders.

You can refer to the following table for interpreting your Vitamin D3 Test results:

These ranges of reference are not fixed and can often vary from one lab to another. The test ranges depend largely on the kind of equipment and the procedure being employed in testing your Vitamin D3 Test blood sample. So, you should always talk to your lab technician and your healthcare provider to interpret your test results accurately.

Your Vitamin D3 Test results can also vary from the specified ranges in case you are older, are pregnant or breastfeeding a child, if you are a woman, or if you are obese. For more information on how these factors can affect your Vitamin D3 Test results, go through the test parameters section above.

The Vitamin D3 Test blood sample is collected from the individual and then tested with various equipment to report the current levels of Vitamin D3 in the body.

Test Preparation

You may be required to fast for about eight hours before your Vitamin D3 Test blood sample is collected. If you are taking any medications or supplements, then you have to discuss them with your doctor first before giving your test sample. This is because some medicines and supplements can affect the actual Vitamin D3 Test results by causing a temporary spike in the level of Vitamin D3 in the body. So, to get actual levels of Vitamin D3, you may be asked to stop taking medicine and oral supplementation before giving the blood sample as per your doctor's instructions.

The procedure involved in taking your Vitamin D3 Test blood sample is not very risky and does not usually have any side effects. However, some people end up feeling dizzy, weak and nauseous after the blood draw. These effects are only temporary and go away within a few hours.

Vitamin D3 Test Parameters

There are certain parameters that can affect your Vitamin D3 Test results. Therefore, your test results need to be interpreted on the basis of the following factors (wherever involved):

• Body Mass Index (BMI)

The measure of your BMI has been seen to have an inverse relationship with the levels of 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D in your body. This means that the higher the BMI lower may be the level of Vitamin D. So, if you are obese, then you are more likely to have lower levels of Vitamin D3 in your body.

• Age Group

For people who are part of older age groups, getting back a lower level of Vitamin D in their Vitamin D3 Test results is likely. This happens because as our age increases, the production of Vitamin D3 in the body decreases.

• Pregnant and Lactating Women

Vitamin D3 deficiency is widespread in pregnant and breastfeeding women in India. So, the Vitamin D3 Test results may come out to be lower than the otherwise normal range in the case of pregnant and lactating women.

• Gender

Indian women, especially the ones who belong to the lower social and economic strata, have been found to be more prone to Vitamin D deficiencies. Thus, if you are an Indian female, you may be more vulnerable to developing a Vitamin D-related deficiency.

How Frequently Should You Take the Vitamin D3 Test?

Depending on your present health condition, your doctor may ask you to undergo the Vitamin D3 Test frequently. In other cases, the Vitamin D3 Test is recommended when there are symptoms of underlying Vitamin D deficiency-related disorders.

Rickets, Osteoporosis, Osteomalacia, Vitamin D deficiency