Mirza Mohsin Ali Jah.
The effect of sunshine on vitamin D3 deficient patients, working in farm fields.
Isra Med J Jan ;5(4):261-2.

Objective: To determine the effect of sunshine on the blood level of vitamin D3 deficient patients working in open agriculture fields. Study design: This is a cross sectional, prospective, and descriptive study. Place and Duration: Fatima hospital, Baqai medical university, from Jan 2010 to Dec 2011. Methodology: All adult patients between 18 and 50 years old who were working in open agricultural fields and were attending outpatient departments with unexplained chronic skeletal aches and pains were advised to get their Vitamin D3 blood level along with other relevant blood tests .They had no obvious cause of aches and pains. These patients were advised to expose their body to sunlight for three months, at least half an hour daily. No supplement in the form of Vitamin D was given. Blood level of Vitamin D3 was repeated at monthly intervals. Results: In this study 500 patients were studied. Out of these 470 (94%) were females and 30 (6%) were males. Deficient levels of Vitamin D3 were found in all male and 468 (99.57 %) female patients while 2 females (0.42%) were found to have an insufficient level of Vitamin D3 in serum. Not a single patient showed improvement in three months’ time. Conclusion: Vitamin D3 deficiency and insufficiency were seen in workers in open fields who were exposed to sunlight for more than six hours daily. Exposure to sunlight is not having a positive effect on improvement of vitamin D3 level in our patients. Without supplements it is not possible to improve Vitamin D level.

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