Screening for Vitamin D Deficiency: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task ForceScreening for Vitamin D Deficiency | Annals of Internal Medicine

open access


Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with adverse health outcomes.
Purpose: To systematically review benefits and harms of vitamin D screening in asymptomatic adults.
Data Sources: Ovid MEDLINE (through the third week of August 2014), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Study Selection: Randomized trials of screening for and treatment of vitamin D deficiency and case–control studies nested within the Women's Health Initiative.
Conclusion: Treatment of vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic persons might reduce mortality risk in institutionalized elderly persons and risk for falls but not fractures.