Serum Vitamin D as a Determinant of Hematological Profile and Anemia Severity in Adults with Iron Deficiency Anemia
Iron deficiency anemia; Vitamin D deficiency; Hemoglobin; Mean corpuscular volume; Nutritional deficiency.
AuthorAbstractObjectives: This study set out to explore the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and hematological parameters in an adult cohort diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). We also wanted to see if vitamin D holds onto an independent connection with hemoglobin concentrations once you filter out potential confounding variables. Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study that tracked 500 adult patients with confirmed IDA. To make the diagnosis definitive, inclusion required low hemoglobin levels, clear microcytosis (MCV <80 fL), and serum ferritin levels dropping below 15 ng/mL. We relied on standardized laboratory techniques to map out all hematological and biochemical variables, then split the participants into groups based on their baseline vitamin D status. We used group differences, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multivariable linear regression models to make sense of the data. Results: An overwhelming 79.6% of our participants turned out to be vitamin D deficient. The individuals in this deficient camp faced significantly lower hemoglobin levels (10.2 ± 1.4 vs 10.9 ± 1.6 g/dL; p=0.018) and a noticeable drop in MCV (72.9 ± 6.0 vs 75.8 ± 6.4 fL; p=0.027) compared to the vitamin D-sufficient group. On top of that, serum vitamin D levels showed a steady, positive correlation with both hemoglobin (r=0.31, p<0.01) and MCV (r=0.27, p=0.02). When we ran the final multivariable regression model, vitamin D stood its ground as an independent predictor of hemoglobin concentrations (β=0.248, 95% CI 0.071–0.425; p=0.004). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is incredibly widespread among adults dealing with IDA. What’s more, it is directly tied to lower hemoglobin levels and more pronounced microcytosis. These insights indicate that testing vitamin D alongside regular iron panels could offer a much clearer clinical picture and pave the way for more comprehensive care plans.
Received-15-05-2026 Revised-17-06-2026 Accepted-22-06-2026
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