The Relationship of Vitamin D Deficiency to Health Care Costs in Veterans
Authors: Peiris, Alan N.1; Bailey, Beth A.2; Manning, Todd1
Source: Military Medicine, Volume 173, Number 12, December 2008 , pp. 1214-1218(5)
Publisher: AMSUS - Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.
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Abstract:
Vitamin D deficiency is often unrecognized and has been linked to many chronic diseases. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to ameliorate these chronic diseases and may reduce the prevalence of some cancers. We analyzed the health care costs associated with vitamin D deficiency in Veterans in Northeast Tennessee. A retrospective electronic chart analysis of the relationship of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status to health care costs, services, and utilization was done in 886 veterans. The overall costs were higher by 39% in the vitamin D-deficient group. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased service utilization in many areas including more frequent emergency room and clinic visits as well as increased inpatient stay and inpatient services. The serum level of vitamin D was also related to health care costs, although to a lesser extent. Vitamin D deficiency is closely linked to increased health care costs in veterans.Document Type: Research article
Affiliations: 1: Mountain Home VAMC, Medicine Service-111, Mountain Home, TN 37684; Alan.Peiris@va.gov. 2: Department of Family Medicine, East Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 70621, Johnson City, TN 37614.
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