At-home vitamin D tests found unreliable by Which?

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 00:27 · Archive

Which? found significant variation in at-home vitamin D test results compared with laboratory blood tests.

Which? has warned that at-home vitamin D tests are returning unreliable results. The watchdog bought five widely available rapid vitamin D tests, each costing around £8, and tested results from the same person against a Care Quality Commission registered laboratory blood test taken on the same day. The laboratory test showed vitamin D levels within the sufficient range.

Rapid tests use a cut-off of 75 nmol/L to indicate sufficient levels, compared with 50 nmol/L for standard NHS blood tests, meaning more people will be flagged as insufficient on home tests. In Which?'s test, the five rapid kits returned conflicting results: only two suggested insufficient levels, two indicated deficient levels significantly lower than the laboratory reading, and one showed sufficient levels. This variation across the same sample highlights the inconsistency of home testing kits.

Which? warned that inaccurate results could leave consumers unnecessarily worried about their health, falsely reassured, or spending money on high-dose supplements they do not need, potentially putting their health at risk. Vitamin D deficiency is common in the UK, particularly during winter months when sunlight is limited, although diet and age also play a role.

At-home vitamin D tests found unreliable by Which? — Image: Evening Standard

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How it is being reported

At-home vitamin D tests found to return ‘unreliable’ results, watchdog warnsWhich? said it found significant variation across rapid self-testing kit results compared with a laboratory blood test.Evening Standard · 30 Oct, 00:01
At-home vitamin D tests found to return ‘unreliable’ results, watchdog warnsWhich? said it found significant variation across rapid self-testing kit results compared with a laboratory blood test.Independent Business · 30 Oct, 00:01

In this story: Which? · Care Quality Commission · UK · NHS

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