Vitamin D Deficiency Common Among Women with Hip Fractures

Vitamin D deficiency leads to decreased calcium absorption and increased levels of parathyroid hormone, ultimately resulting in bone resorption and loss. This U.S. study described vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels in 98 postmenopausal women who were admitted for hip replacement. Most of these procedures were elective, but 30 were for acute hip fracture. None of the women had other identifiable causes of bone loss.

The women with acute fractures had significantly lower median levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (32.4 nmol/l) than the women who were having elective procedures (55.0 nmol/l in those with osteoporosis, 49.9 nmol/l in those without). Half of the women with acute fractures had levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D that were clearly defici…