Vitamin D low in nearly all elderly who break hip

LONDON (Agence de Presse Medicale) – Vitamin D deficiency
is nearly universal in cases of hip fractures, researchers in
Scotland reported online in Current Medical Research and
Opinion on Monday.

A look-back study of 548 patients older than 60 years of
age who were admitted at South Glasgow University Hospital in
the previous 4 years, showed that 97.8 percent of the patients
had vitamin D levels below normal.

In 25 percent of the cases, levels were so low as to be
described as “effectively unrecordable” by the researchers.
There were no significant differences in patient age, sex or
season of presentation.

Dr. Stephen Gallacher, lead researcher and consultant
endocrinologist at the hospital said: “Although the numbers
were too small to justify extensive subgroup analyzes the study
appears to demonstrate that vitamin D inadequacy represents a
significant correctable risk factor for fragility fracture and
perhaps specifically for the hip.”

Doctors, he added in a statement, “should do all they can
to encourage their osteoporotic patients to adhere to their
vitamin D supplementation.”

The research was funded by Merck.