Constantine Anetakis - Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Alexandrian Campus of International Hellenic University, ۵۷۴۰۰ Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Stella Mitka - Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Alexandrian Campus of International Hellenic University, ۵۷۴۰۰ Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Maria Chatzidimitriou - Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Alexandrian Campus of International Hellenic University, ۵۷۴۰۰ Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece & Bioanalysis Diagnostic Laboratory, D. Gounari ۳۳, ۵۴۶۲۲ Thessaloniki
Konstantinos Anagnostopoulos - Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.
Phaedra Eleftheriou - Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Alexandrian Campus of International Hellenic University, ۵۷۴۰۰ Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Theodoros Lialiaris - Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is recognised as a pandemic in the developed world. However, the importance of prudent sun exposure tends to be overlooked, which is responsible for this pandemic. Methods: We investigated the vitamin D status in ۳۲۶ adults, ۱۶۵ females and ۱۶۱ males: ۹۹ Osteoporosis patients, ۵۳ Type ۱ Diabetes patients, ۵۱ Type ۲ Diabetes patients, and ۱۲۳ Athletic Healthy individuals, from Northern Greece, through the measurement of total calcidiol in winter and summer by immunoenzymatic assay. Results: In the Whole Sample ۲۳.۳۱% had severe deficiency, ۱۳.۵۰% mild deficiency, ۱۷.۴۸% insufficiency, and ۴۵.۷۱% adequacy at the end of winter. Mean concentrations differed significantly (p <۰.۰۰۱) between males and females. The prevalence of deficiency in the young was significantly lower than in the middle-aged (p = ۰.۰۰۴) and in the elderly (p <۰.۰۰۱), while it was significantly lower (p = ۰.۰۱۴) in the middle-aged than in the elderly. The best vitamin D status was found in the Athletic Healthy individuals, followed by the Type ۱ and Type ۲ Diabetic patients, while Osteoporotic patients had the poorest status. The difference in mean concentrations between winter and summer was significant (p <۰.۰۰۱). Conclusions: Vitamin D status deteriorated with increasing age and it was better in males than in females. Our findings suggest that outdoor physical activity in a Mediterranean country can cover the vitamin D needs of the young and the middle-aged, but not of the elderly, without the need for dietary supplements.

Total calcidiol, osteoporosis, Type ۱ diabetes, Type ۲ diabetes, Vitamin D status.