What fat-soluble vitamin is often depleted in patients with kidney disease?

In patients with kidney disease, vitamin D is often depleted due to the kidney's critical role in converting vitamin D into its active form, calcitriol. The kidneys are responsible for the hydroxylation process that transforms vitamin D into a form that can be used by the body to regulate calcium and phosphate, which are essential for maintaining bone health and proper metabolic function.

When kidney function declines, this conversion process is impaired. As a result, patients may experience deficiencies in active vitamin D, potentially leading to various complications such as weakened bones and increased risk of fractures.

Other fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, E, and K, while also important, do not have the same direct dependency on renal function for their activation or metabolism, which distinguishes vitamin D as particularly susceptible to depletion in patients with kidney disease.