MONDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Low levels of vitamin D can boost older women's risk for hip fracture by more than 70 percent, University of Pittsburgh researchers report.
The finding adds weight to the recommendation that people maintain adequate intake of vitamin D, which is primarily made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight.
The fracture-vitamin D link "has been observed for 15 years," noted Dr. Michael F. Holick, director of the Vitamin D Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University. "The good news is it's consistent, the higher your vitamin D status, the lower the risk of your developing a hip fracture."
The new report appears in the Aug. 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Hip fractures can be devastating for older individuals. In fact, 50 percent of older people who suffer a hip fracture will end up in a nursing home and 20 percent will die within the first year due to complications such as a pulmonary embolism resulting from the fracture, Holick said.
For this study, a research team led by Jane A. Cauley from the University of Pittsburgh collected data on 800 women aged 50 to 79. Researchers followed the women for up to nine years to determine their risk for hip fractures.
They found that the risk of hip fracture rose 33 percent with every 25 nanomoles per liter drop in vitamin D levels. Women with the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 71 percent increase risk for hip fractures compared with women with the highest levels of vitamin D, the researchers report.
"We conclude that low serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with an increased risk for hip fracture in community-dwelling women. The mechanism of association is unclear," the authors wrote.
Holick notes that vitamin D is essential for the body's absorption of calcium, a key component of bone health. "If you don't have adequate vitamin D, you cannot efficiently absorb calcium," he said. "Vitamin D also helps maintain bone health by keeping bone cells active."
According to the U.S. Institute of Medicine, people should get between 200 and 400 international units of vitamin D a day. The best way to get vitamin D, naturally, is by being out in the sun.
As little as 10 to 15 minutes of sun a day can give you all a vitamin D you need. Vitamin D is also available in small quantities in foods such as fish and milk.
Preventing hip fracture is another good reason to keep your vitamin D levels up, Holick said. "To get vitamin D levels to where they need to be to reduce the risk of hip fracture, you need to be taking at least 1,000 international units of vitamin D a day from a supplement," he advised.
Dr. John Jacob Cannell, executive director of the nonprofit Vitamin D Council, agreed that most people are not getting enough of the nutrient.
"Women need to know their vitamin D status," Cannell said. "They need to ask their doctor for the right test," known as the 25 hydroxy D test. "Women should strive to keep your vitamin D levels above 125 nanomoles per liter, year round. To do that, they are going to require supplements."
Cannell recommends that before they get a blood test for vitamin D, women take 2,000 international units of vitamin D a day for three months.
More information
For more about vitamin D, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
SUNDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- A few simple safety precautions can greatly reduce the risk of serious head, spinal or other types of injuries while doing summer sports and recreational activities, says the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
There were about 319,000 sports-related head injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2006, an increase of 10,000 injuries from 2005, according to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission statistics.
The top 10 causes of sports and recreation-related head injuries in 2006 were:
- Cycling -- 65,319.
- Football -- 34,638.
- Powered recreational vehicles (ATVs, dune buggies, go-carts, mini bikes) -- 28,585.
- Basketball -- 25,788.
- Baseball and softball -- 23,125.
- Water sports (diving, scuba diving, surfing, swimming, water polo, water skiing) -- 16,060.
- Skateboards/scooters -- 15,978.
- Soccer -- 15,208.
- Fitness/exercise (including at health clubs) -- 11,895.
- Horseback riding -- 9,260.
Here are some head and spinal injury prevention tips:
- Buy and always use helmets or protective head gear approved for specific sports.
- Wear appropriate clothing for the sport.
- Don't participate in sports when you're very tired or ill.
- Discard and replace damaged sporting equipment or protective gear.
- When playing baseball, never slide head-first into a base.
- When cycling, skateboarding, and rollerblading, obey all traffic signals, be aware of drivers, and avoid uneven or unpaved surfaces.
- Younger children should be supervised at all times and should not be allowed to use sporting equipment or play sports unsuitable for their age. Don't let young children use playgrounds located on hard surfaces.
- Perform regular safety checks of sports fields, playgrounds and equipment.
- Don't dive into water less than nine feet deep or in above-ground pools. Check the depth and check for debris in the water before diving.
- Follow all rules and warning signs at water parks, swimming pools, and public beaches.
- Football players should receive adequate preconditioning and strengthening of the head and neck muscles.
- Proper football blocking and tackling techniques must be taught and followed.
More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more summer safety tips.