Vitamin D is essential because it helps to keep calcium and phosphate within a normal range in the blood, and it is vital for strong bones. A vitamin D deficiency can be the result of hereditary disorders, kidney disease, liver abnormalities, malabsorption or not getting enough sunlight. It is not due to elevated red blood cells.
Vitamin D
According to the National Institutes of Health, the daily recommended amount of vitamin D depends upon the age. Adults who are 19 to 70 years old should consume 600 IU of vitamin D every day, while adults aged 71 years old and older should have 800 IU daily. The upper limit for this vitamin is 4,000 IU a day for adults. Vitamin D tells the intestines to increase the absorption of phosphate and calcium, and it is essential for strong, healthy bones. A deficiency can, therefore, affect bone health and the levels of phosphate and calcium within the bloodstream. It does not increase the production of the red blood cells.
Symptoms
If you have a vitamin D deficiency, you may have bone pain, weak muscles, muscle aches and pains. You may have a symptom called tetany in which the muscles involuntarily contract and cramp. If the tetany becomes severe, it can progress to seizures. Tetany is caused by a low level of calcium within the bloodstream, which may be due to the vitamin D deficiency, as explained in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals" by Larry Johnson, M.D., Ph.D. Elevated red blood cells, on the other hand, can make the blood thick, and this can cause dizziness, confusion, vision problems and a flushed face.
Polycythemia Vera
Polycythemia vera is the name for a medical disorder in which someone has an elevated level of platelets and white blood cells, but especially red blood cells. Approximately 95 percent of the people with this disorder have a mutation in a protein called JAK2, short for janus kinase 2, according to Charles Linker, M.D., in "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment." Scientists hypothesize that the JAK2 mutation has a role in the development of polycythemia vera because JAK2 is involved in sending signals to a protein called erythropoietin. Erythropoietin is made and released by the kidneys to tell the bone marrow to increase its production of red blood cells.
Secondary Polycythemia
Similar to the elevated red blood cells of polycythemia vera, the high amount of red blood cells in secondary polycythemia are not linked to a vitamin D deficiency. In secondary polycythemia, the red blood cells are elevated for various reasons. It can be due to being in a high altitude, having a lung disease or smoking; in all of these cases, the tissues are not getting enough oxygen, and in response, the kidneys release erythropoietin to increase the number of red blood cells, explains Elizabeth Corwin, Ph.D. in the "Handbook of Pathophysiology." Smoking can cause this disorder because the carbon monoxide will not let the red blood cells pick up oxygen.
References
- "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2011"; Stephen McPhee, M.D., Maxine Papadakis, M.D.; 2011
- "Handbook of Pathophysiology"; Elizabeth Corwin, MSN, Ph.D., FNP; 2000
- National Institutes of Health: Vitamin D
- "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals"; Vitamin D; Larry Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.; 2007
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