Neither latitude , region of the world , nor laboratory methodology were found to be associated with the prevalence of hypovitaminosis
BACKGROUND Hypovitaminosis D is considered a global public health issue .
Knowledge of its true dimensions will allow us to design interventions and plan preventive measures that can have a significant impact on human health .
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D , defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 30 ng/ml , in postmenopausal women around the world , as well as to identify the potential associated factors .
The effects of calcitriol on falls and fractures and physical performance tests
There is an increase in the incidence of falls with aging and about 10 % of falls lead to fractures . Nearly all hip fractures are due to falls and hip fractures are the most severe of the osteoporotic fractures because they lead to a 20 % mortality rate and a loss of independent living in 50 % of cases . Although there are multiple factors associated with falls , our interest is the role that vitamin D metabolism plays in the pathogenesis of falls . Recent clinical trials show that both vitamin D and the metabolite calcitriol reduce the number of falls by 30 - 40 % in elderly subjects . This should also reduce the number of fractures . In European studies , the decrease in falls could be attributed to an improvement in the muscle weakness that often accompanies vitamin D deficiency . However , in the studies using calcitriol there was no vitamin D deficiency , so the mechanism of its efficacy is less clear . It could be due to increased muscle strength , an improvement in the neurological control of balance or both . Underst and ing these mechanisms would allow us to search for analogs of vitamin D that act more selectively on muscle and on the central nervous system
Neither latitude , region of the world , nor laboratory methodology were found to be associated with the prevalence of hypovitaminosis
BACKGROUND Hypovitaminosis D is considered a global public health issue .
Knowledge of its true dimensions will allow us to design interventions and plan preventive measures that can have a significant impact on human health .
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D , defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 30 ng/ml , in postmenopausal women around the world , as well as to identify the potential associated factors .