14 June 2013
According to a new study from Norway insufficient supply of vitamin D seems to significantly increase the risk of suffering a hip fracture for older adults.
In the prospective cohort study, measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and documented cases of hip fracture of 21,774 men and women aged 65–79 over an average of eight years (1). The study results showed that participants with the lowest blood vitamin D concentrations (below 42.2 nmol/l resp.
17 ng/ml) had a 38% increased risk of hip fracture compared with the highest levels (above 67.9 nmol/l resp. 27 ng/ml). The hip fracture risk fell continuously with increasing serum levels of the vitamin, with the steepest and most consistent decrease at levels in the magnitude of 40 to 60 nmol/L. The association was stronger in men than in women.
The researchers concluded that low vitamin D status is a risk factor for hip fracture. The results also suggest a preventive effect occurring at levels above 75 nmol/L compared with levels below 50 nmol/L, they added. Norway, a high-latitude country where low sun exposure exacerbates vitamin D insufficiency, has one of the highest hip fracture rates worldwide.
30 June 2011
Individuals with increased blood sugar levels and with large amounts of vitamin D in their plasma are up to 25 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, says a new US study.
1 January 2011
Bones make up the human skeleton and provide structure, mobility and support while protecting the various organs of the body. Although bones may seem like hard and lifeless structures, they are living tissues. During a person’s lifetime the body constantly breaks down old bone and builds up new bone. Any time old bone is broken down faster than new bone is made, net bone loss occurs.
14 February 2014
People with higher blood concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids may have larger brain volumes in old age, suggests a new US study.
