Hip fractures often due to vitamin D deficiency

When you’re older, the last thing you need is a tough break.

A bone fracture can have a huge negative impact on the health of older people. And that’s especially true of hip fractures, which obviously compromise mobility. So it’s not a surprise really that many people who experience hip fractures may be deficient in vitamin D (an essential nutrient for bone health).

This is illustrated by a new study from Scotland’s South Glasgow University Hospital in which researchers examined nearly 550 patients over the age of 60 who had suffered hip fractures. Almost 100 percent of these patients were found to be vitamin D deficient, and about 25 percent had vitamin D levels so low that they were considered “unrecordable.”

Of course, you could argue that just about anyone chosen at random on the streets of Glasgow might have a vitamin D deficiency. The skin converts UV-B rays into Vitamin D, so sunlight is the single best source of the vitamin. People who live in northern latitudes generally get insufficient UV-B exposure and are prone to vitamin D deficiency. Glasgow is on the same latitude as Kodiak, Alaska.

The researchers conclude that an increase of vitamin D intake may reduce the risk of “fragility fracture in the elderly.”

For folks in sunlight-deprived Glasgow, Kodiak and other points far north and south, the best source of vitamin D is cod liver oil. Other dietary sources include eggs, liver and oily fish such as salmon,sardines, trout, and tuna.

Source:
“Vitamin D Levels Low in Almost All Hip Fracture Patients” NutraIngredients, 8/3/05, nutraingredients.com