People With Traumatic Bone Fractures Often Have Low Levels Of Vitamin D
- Mar 25, 2014
- Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
New research suggests people with traumatic bone fractures often have low levels of vitamin D.
The research validates the current understanding of vitamin D, in that vitamin D is important in repairing bone damage.
Researchers from the University of Missouri looked at vitamin D levels in 900 adults who suffered traumatic bone fractures from incidents like falls and car crashes.
Seventy-nine percent of men and 76 percent of women had deficient vitamin D levels. Furthermore, 40 percent of the women and 38 percent of the men had severely low vitamin D levels.
The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Based on the findings, the researchers have started prescribing vitamin D medication for nearly all patients with broken bones as a protective measure to reduce the risk of healing problems.
“More research is needed to demonstrate whether vitamin D medications can reduce the risk of bones not healing properly,” Brett Crist said, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery. “But we know vitamin D is required for repairing damage to bones, and for most people there is very little risk in taking vitamin D medications. At this point, we believe it’s a reasonable step for physicians to prescribe the medication as a protective measure.”
People should talk to their doctor before using vitamin D supplements.
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
Reference:
1. US News. Vitamin D Deficiency Often Seen in Traumatic Bone Breaks. 2013.