Vitamin D is important for bone development; it's also responsible for the calcification of bones by maintaining the concentration of calcium in the blood. Every part of the body is affected by the action of vitamin D. The kidneys are very important in the metabolism of vitamin D. Vitamin D is converted to its active form in the kidneys. Diseases affecting the kidneys, such as renal failure, affect the metabolism of vitamin D.
Renal Failure
Renal failure can be acute or chronic, but in either case, it refers to the kidney's inability to filter blood. In renal failure, there is a buildup of metabolic wastes that are normally filtered by the kidneys. Renal failure can be a result of decreased blood flow to kidney, problem with filtration apparatus of the kidneys or decreased outflow from the kidneys. The kidneys are also engaged in the activation of vitamin D. Renal failure affects the conversion of vitamin D to its active form.
Complications of Vitamin D Deficiency
A serious complication that can result from vitamin D deficiency is hypocalcemia, or low blood calcium. The heart needs calcium to function correctly; hypocalcemia causes irregular heart beating. Low blood phosphate, or hypocalcemia, results from vitamin D deficiency; its caused by the action of the parathyroid hormone, which is released from parathyroid glands. Vitamin D deficiency can occur in both adults and in children; it can cause softening of bones, which is osteomalacia in adults and rickets in kids.
Symptoms
In addition to irregular heart beating, vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle aches and weakness. Hypocalcemia resulting from vitamin D deficiency can also lead to tetany, which can cause abnormal sensations in the fingers, tongue and lips. Hypocalcemia can also cause facial spams, which are uncontrollable twitches of the facial muscles. The brain is also affected by hypocalcemia seizures. Neonates, or newborns, can also experience tetany if the mother was deficient in vitamin D.
Diagnosis of Vitamin D Deficiency
Diagnosing vitamin D deficiency involve the extraction of blood and testing for its concentration of 25 hydroxy-vitamin D, or 25OHD, which is the form of vitamin D that is effective in the body. A normal concentration of 25OHD should be greater than 30 ng/mL; less than 20 ng/mL is vitamin D deficiency.
Treatment
Vitamin D deficiency in the setting of renal failure is done by supplementing vitamin D. A 2007 article released in "Renal & Urology News" states that a single 50,000 IU capsule of vitamin D2 per month is effective in restoring normal concentration of 25OHD in the blood within six months. Supplementation of vitamin D2 at these has yielded no side effects. Exposure to sunlight will also be beneficial in raising vitamin D levels in the blood.
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