ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of levels of vitamin D among the patients of mastalgia visiting to tertiary care hospital.
METHODOLOGY
This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among confirmed cases of mastalgia to evaluate the Vitamin D levels at Department of General Surgery, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University / Chandka Medical College, Larkana. A total of 174 eligible female individuals were selected for the cohort (between 30 to 75 years). The breast pain was assessed clinically during breast examination and was categorized based on the Visual Analogue Scale as mild, moderate, or severe. The blood samples of all participants in the study were sent to the laboratory for analysis of Vitamin D which was classified as normal level, insufficiency, and deficiency. The deficiency was further subdivided into mild, moderate, and severe. The data were subjected to analysis utilizing SPSS version 26 statistical software, with statistical significance established at p ≤ 0.05.
RESULTS
The median age of the entire cohort was 53.50 ± 6.73. Vitamin D statuses of the individuals were reported as deficient (25.9%), insufficient (39.7%), and sufficient (34.5%). The association was identified as significant in menopausal status (p=0.001), insignificant in age group (p=0.732), body mass index (p=0.788), and parity (p=0.403).
CONCLUSION
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are prevalent among individuals experiencing mastalgia, with a highly significant association identified with menopausal status. The identification and rectification of vitamin D dysregulation within this demographic may provide clinical advantages in the management of breast pain. These observations advocate for the inclusion of vitamin D evaluation in the standard assessment protocols for mastalgia, although additional research is imperative to investigate its therapeutic ramifications.
KEYWORDS
Breast pain, Complications, Mastalgia, Nutritional status, Vitamin D deficiency