Vitamin D

Why I test:

Vitamin D testing and optimal levels are a highly controversial topic in medicine.  Vitamin D is produced by human skin cells in response to sunlight.  In modern society we spend dramatically less time outdoors then our ancestors.  In addition as city dwellers in a northern latitude our sunlight exposure is further limited.  Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a wide variety of conditions including autoimmune disease, depression, and diabetes.  Doctors don't know how well supplemental vitamin D corrects this problem.  

What i test:

In today's definition being truly deficient is <10 ng/mL, having levels 10-30 ng/mL is considered "insufficient" and levels of 30-100 ng/mL are considered sufficient.  Some integrative medicine experts believe that ideal levels are in the range of 50-80 ng/mL.

who i test:

I test patients with weakness and fatigue, depression especially those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), with autoimmune diseases, and history of unusual fractures.