Vitamin deficiency and vitamin K deficiency. In the medical literature, any of these may also be called by names on the pattern of "hypovitaminosis" or "avitaminosis" + "[letter of vitamin]", for example, hypovitaminosis A, hypovitaminosis C, hypovitaminosis D. Conversely hypervitaminosis is the syndrome of symptoms caused by over-retention of fat-soluble vitamins in the body. Vitamin deficiency A vitamin deficiency can cause a disease or syndrome known as an avitaminosis or hypovitaminosis. This usually refers to a long-term deficiency of a vitamin. When caused by inadequate nutrition it can be classed as a "primary deficiency", and when due to an underlying disorder such
Vitamin K deficiency all newborns shortly after birth. Postmenopausal and elderly women in Thailand have high risk of Vitamin K deficiency, compared with the normal value of young, reproductive females. Current dosage recommendations for Vitamin K may be too low. The deposition of calcium in soft tissues, including arterial walls, is quite common, especially in those suffering from atherosclerosis, suggesting that Vitamin K deficiency is more common than previously thought. Because colonic bacteria synthesize a significant portion of the Vitamin K required for human needs, individuals with disruptions to or insufficient amounts of these bacteria can be at risk for Vitamin K deficiency.