To Study Vitamin D Levels as a Risk Factor and Correlate as a Marker of Severity in Stroke Patients

Background: Stroke is a major public health problem worldwide with South Asia thought to be the highest contributor to stroke mortality in the world, (more than 40% of global stroke death). It's a multi-factorial disease that occurs due to combination of modifiable and non- modifiable risk factors. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone, whose classic role is in regulation of calcium and bone homeostasis. It is so vital still there is a pandemic of Vitamin D deficiency and it affects almost every second person worldwide. Hence understanding the correlation between vit d levels and stroke is crucial for developing effective prevention of disease. This study aims to observe vit D levels in patient of stroke as a risk factor and to correlate vit d levels in patient of stroke in relation to severity. Methodology: A crosssectional observational study was conducted involving 120 patients aged above 18 years, recruited from a tertiary care hospital. Patients were assessed for stroke using either CT or MRI of brain and were categorized based on their GCS score into mild, moderate, severe category. At the same time serum Vitamin D levels were evaluated. other risk factors for stroke like hypertension, diabetes, history of CKD, CAD, Alcohol intake, Smoking was measured. Data was analyzed to determine the correlation between vitamin D with stroke as well as correlate severity of stroke. Results: Total of 120 patients, 60 patients were part of case group (stroke group) and 60 patients were control group (non-stroke group). The case group had a mean vitamin D level of 13.99 ng/dL (SD=8.93), while the control group had a higher mean of 20.42 ng/dL (SD=3.48). The t-value was 5.19, with a 95% confidence interval for the mean difference ranging from -8.88 to -3.98. The p-value was 0.0001, indicating a significant difference in vitamin D levels between the two groups. In case group, a significant mean difference of 6.89 was found between the severe and mild categories (GCS:13-15), with a p-value of 0.01, Conclusion: Vitamin D levels were notably low in stroke group compare to control. Among stroke group vitamin d level were significantly higher in mild (GCS:13-15) category compare to severe (GCS: 3-8). Stroke being a multifactorial risk factor disease, in our study we found dyslipidemia being one of the strongest relations with stroke. Along with this there is strong positive correlation of smoking, type two diabetes mellitus and history of CKD among case group as compare to control.