Vitamin D levels in patients with hip fracture in Madrid

• Published in: Medicina clínica Vol. 106; no. 2; p. 41
• Main Authors: Martínez, M E, del Campo, M T, García, J A, Sánchez-Cabezudo, M J, Medina, S, Garc-ia Cimbrelo, E, Munuera, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 20.01.1996
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Hip Fractures - blood; Humans; Male; Spain; Vitamin D - blood; Spain
• ISSN: 0025-7753

Vitamin D appears to be implicated in the loss of bone mass and its most severe complication is the hip fracture. A change is produced in the metabolism of vitamin D in elderly people although its study has received little attention in many countries. With the aim of evaluating vitamin D and its metabolites in the elderly people with hip fracture in our geographic environment (Madrid, Spain), 58 patients with hip fracture over the age of 70, and 39 subjects without a fracture or the similar age were studied. Both groups were evaluated during the season of minimum solar irradiation. The plasma concentrations of intact PTH and the serum concentrations of calcidiol and calcitriol were studied in all the patients. The patients with hip fracture presented significantly lower concentrations of calcidiol (11.7 +/- 6.4 vs. 18.4 +/- 12.7 nmol/l) and calcitriol (60.1 +/- 24.7 vs. 76.1 +/- 25.0 pmol/l) than in elderly persons without fracture, with similar PTH values being observed in both groups (4.8 +/- 1.9 vs. 5.1 +/- 2.3 pmol/l). Although Madrid, Spain is considered to be a geographical area of high solar irradiation, the elderly population studied presented a vitamin D deficiency which was found to be greater in those with hip fracture.