Hip fracture and vitamin D levels
Osteoporos Int. 2006 Jul 28; [Epub ahead of print] Vitamin D and intact PTH status in patients with hip fracture. Sakuma M and others PMID: 16874442. This Japanese study involved 50 cases of hip fracture compared to controls with no hip fracture who were older than 70 admitted to a hospital during the same period. Several lab tests were done, including serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) and intact parathyroid hormone (intact PTH). Results showed that 25-OHD was significantly lower in patients with hip fracture than in controls while intact PTH levels was significantly higher in patients with hip fracture. Thus 62% of the cases with hip fracture had hypovitaminosis D (25-OHD <20ng/ml). This compared to only 18.9% of controls having hypovitaminosis D. The authors conclude: “Our results indicate that about two-thirds (62%) of hip fracture patients had vitamin D insufficiency, suggesting that this condition may be closely associated with hip fracture in elderly people. Therefore the serum 25-OHD level may be a useful index for risk of hip fracture in elderly people.” Editor's comments: 25-OHD is a simple lab test that would appear to be useful in elderly people as a screening tool to suggest their risk for a future hip fracture. If they have decreased 25-OHD, then additional osteoporosis screening tests would be indicated in order to prevent hip fracture. Hip fracture is expensive, painful, often debilitating and even fatal in a high percentage of cases that occur in the elderly. Thus there would be great benefit from a fast and simple screening tool to help prevent hip fracture.