Vitamin D insufficiency linked to increased fracture risk in elderly women

A new study has shown that long-term low levels of vitamin D intake are associated with higher 10-year fracture risk in elderly women.

The study was presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases.

Vitamin D insufficiency in seniors has been shown to contribute to increased risk of osteoporotic fractures.

Previous studies have used single vitamin D measurements to investigate effects on bone.

However, in elderly women, relatively little is known about the effects of long-term vitamin D insufficiency on bone health.

The study by Swedish researchers used sequential assessment of serum vitamin D to determine if sustained hypovitaminosis D in elderly women leads to increased 10-year fracture incidence.

The results showed that the incidence of hip fractures within 10 years was significantly lower in those women who were vitamin D sufficient at baseline and maintained this level at 5 years.