Evidence Hub

Vitamin D insufficiency: a risk factor to vertebral fractures in community-dwelling elderly women

Lopes JB, Danilevicius CF, Takayama L, Caparbo VF, Scazufca M, Bonfá E, Pereira RM

Maturitas, 2009

226 participants · 37 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors for the presence of moderate/severe vertebral fracture, specifically 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD).

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study conducted for 2 years in the city of São Paulo, Brazil including community-dwelling elderly women.

METHODS: Bone mineral density (BMD), serum 25-OHD, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were examined in 226 women without vertebral fractures (NO FRACTURE group) and 189 women with at least one moderate/severe vertebral fracture (FRACTURE group). Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) was evaluated using both the Genant semiquantitative (SQ) approach and morphometry.

RESULTS: Patients in the NO FRACTURE group had lower age, increased height, higher calcium intake, and higher BMD compared to those patients in the FRACTURE group (p<0.05). Of interest, serum levels of 25-OHD in the NO FRACTURE group were higher than those observed in the FRACTURE group (51.73 nmol/L vs. 42.31 nmol/L, p<0.001). Reinforcing this finding, vitamin D insufficiency (25-OHD<75 nmol/L) was observed less in the NO FRACTURE group (82.3% vs. 93.65%, p=0.001). After adjustment for significant variables within the patient population (age, height, race, calcium intake, 25-OHD, eGFR and sites BMD), the logistic-regression analyses revealed that age (OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.14, p<0.001) femoral neck BMD (OR=0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.82, p<0.001) and 25-OHD <75 nmol/L (OR=2.38, 95% CI 1.17-4.8,…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 226 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free