Vitamin D Deficiency and the Risk of Osteoporosis in Elderly Women

Abstract

Backgroud : Vitamin D deficiency lead to elevations in parathyroid hormone levels, resulting in increased bone resorption and reduced  BMD, especially cortical bone, and caused skeletal osteoporosis.  Up  to now there are very few studies to show the effect of vitamin D deficiency on bone mineral density.  The level of vitamin D deficiency vary considerably with latitude, also the variability in the different vitamin D assays, that varies from 10 – 40 ng/ml. From our previous study about prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, it being found that the level of calcidiol < 35 ng/ml was th level of vitamin D deficiency.

Objective : To determine the risk of osteoporosis in lumbar spine, proximal femur and the distal radius, between the elderly women with and without vitamin D deficiency.

Design : Cross – sectional descriptive study.

Setting : Municipality  of Khon Kaen province, Thailand.

Outcome Measurements : Serum calcidiol and PTH  levels and  bone mineral density of lumbar spine, proximal femur and distal forearm.

Results : No any significant difference in age, weight, height, BMI  and  the  alkaline  phosphatase  level  between  both  groups.  There  was  only  PTH  level  that  showed  significant  difference  between  both  groups.  A  calcudiol  level  of  <  35   ng/ml  was  associated  with  an  increased  in  the  risk  of  osteoporosis  of  femoral  neck  with  the  odds  ratio  (95%CI)  of  2.87  (1.15;7.15), p = 0.02. But  no  any  risks  in  other  parts  of  the  skeletons.

Conclusion : Vitamin  D  deficiency  increased  the  risk  of  osteoporosis  of  the  femoral  neck.

Key  words :  Vitamin  D  deficiency, elderly  women, odds  ratio, femoral  neck.