Lower vitamin D levels, more hip fractures

HONOLULU, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. researcher found an increased risk of hip fractures in women with low levels of vitamin D.

Jane Cauley of the University of Pittsburgh evaluated patient data on 400 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study Cohort, who had experienced hip fracture.

"The risk of hip fractures was 77 percent higher among women whose 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels were at the lowest concentrations,"Cauley said in a statement. "This effect persisted even when we adjusted for other risk factors such as body mass index, family history of hip fracture, smoking and alcohol use."

Levels of 25 hydroxyvitamin D, an indicator of vitamin D status, in the bloodstream were measured for these patients and compared with those of a control group matched for age, race, ethnicity and the date of relevant blood work.

Cauley said the exact daily requirement of vitamin D hasn't been determined but most experts think the current recommended level of 400 international units should be raised to at least 800 to 1,000 IU's a day.

The findings are being presented at the 29th annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Honolulu.