Vitamin D Can Hinder Falls and Fractures in Older Folk

There’s been an awful lot about vitamin D recently; in fact, it’s the vitamin-du-jour. Adequate amounts can help prevent the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, stroke, heart disease, and reduced immunity to upper respiratory infections.  Now a publication in the British Medical Journal reports the use of Vitamin D supplements in elders in preventing falls and fractures.    

This was a meta-analysis of published articles up to 2008 that were double-blind, randomized, controlled trials of people 65 or older who were taking vitamin D; and there had to be a way of assessing falls in the trial.  Eight trials, with a total of 2,426 patients met these criteria.  The dose of vitamin D varied from 700 to 1,000 IU per day.

This high dose supplement reduced the fall risk by 19%.  If a serum 25(OH)D concentration of 60 nmol/L or more was reached, there was a 23% reduced fall risk.  The beneficial action of the supplement was recognized 2 to 5 months after starting treatment, and extended beyond 12 months.  Obviously, reducing the number of falls reduces the number of fractures.  Lower levels than those reported above were not effective in reducing falls.

This, and other reports, have led medical experts to recommend that vitamin D supplements of 1,500 or 2,000 IU per day would be appropriate for older persons, especially those living in lesser sunshine states.