Vitamin D3
Also known as Vitamin D3 BloodWhat is this test?
Vitamin D3 test is used to measure the amount of vitamin D in the blood.
What is Vitamin-D3?
Vitamin D3 is also known as cholecalciferol, which is a form of vitamin D. Vitamin D3 gets transformed into a hormone in the bloodstream. This helps in absorbing calcium and phosphate into the body.
The two sources of vitamin D is endogenous or exogenous. Endogenous sources are produced in the skin by the exposure to sunlight. The exogenous sources are through food and supplements. Vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are the two chemical structures of the Vitamin D. Vitamin D2 is called ergocalciferol, which is mostly found in fortified foods and most vitamin preparations and supplements. Vitamin D3 is called cholecalciferol and is produced in the body and also used in some supplements. These two vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are converted to 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
Importance of Vitamin-D:
The main role of vitamin D is to regulate the levels of phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium in the body. Vitamin D helps in the growth of bones. Vitamin D deficiency makes the bones soft, malformed, and unable to repair that is leading to diseases like rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. It also helps in regulating the immune system and also in the growth of many other tissues. The main sources of vitamin D are fishes like salmon, mackerel, cod liver oil, fortified milk, bread, eggs, and cereals.
Why this test is performed?
This vitamin D test may be recommended to you if you have any abnormal calcium or phosphorus level or abnormal parathyroid levels. This test is also recommended if you have evidence of bone weakness or bone disorders or if you are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. This test is also performed before starting the treatment for osteoporosis and later to check if the treatment is working. This test is recommended if you have a malformation of bones, weakness, osteomalacia, fracture, gastric bypass surgery, malabsorption of fat, people with darker skin, breastfeeding mothers, kidney diseases or sarcoidosis, or lymphomas, etc. This test is also recommended to you if you have a chronic illness such as asthma, psoriasis, or certain immune disorders.
Precautions:
Some anti-seizure drugs such as phenytoin may interact with the test results. An overdose of vitamin tablets also interferes with the test results. Hence inform your doctor or technician about all your current medications and medical conditions prior to the test.
Test Preparation
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Vitamin D3. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Vitamin D3.
No specific preparation is needed for this test.
Understanding your test results
If your test results are higher than the normal range then it may indicate an overdose of vitamin D3 supplements or vitamin tablets.
If your test results are lower than the normal range then it may indicate vitamin D3 deficiency. This may be due to low absorption of vitamin D from intestines or low dietary intake of vitamin D in foods or due to less exposure to the sun.
If you receive abnormal test results, consult your doctor immediately with your test results. Your doctor may recommend you further tests, treatments, or lifestyle modifications based on your test results.
| Gender | Age groups | Value |
| UNISEX | All age groups | 20 - 100ng/ml |