Extra vitamin D reduces falls by elderly

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Roman Bystrianyk

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:08 pm

Guest

Anne Harding, "Extra vitamin D reduces falls by elderly", Scientific
American, February 28, 2007,
Link: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=0DF9DB3088320CFF4C7B2E2EC39D1610

Getting plenty of vitamin D can help prevent falls among people living
in nursing homes, a new study confirms.

Among 124 nursing home residents, those who were taking 800 units of
vitamin D daily were 72 percent less likely to fall over a five-month
period than those on an inactive 'placebo' supplement, Kerry E. Broe
and colleagues report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society.

On the other hand, the men and women on lower vitamin D doses had the
same risk of falling as those on placebo. "It's not just vitamin D,
but it's adequate D," Broe told Reuters Health.

Vitamin D deficiency is common among nursing home residents, and
several studies have found supplementation with the vitamin -- which
can strengthen muscle as well as promote bone strength by helping the
body use calcium -- can reduce falling risk. However, other studies
have found no link between taking vitamin D and the risk of falls or
fractures.

Moreover, the appropriate level of supplementation, as well as the
optimum blood level of vitamin D, remains a matter of debate.

To investigate, Broe, at the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew
SeniorLife in Boston, and her team re-analyzed the results of a
previous study in which nursing home residents were given several
different doses of vitamin D or placebo to check the effect on their
blood levels of the vitamin.

The rate of falling during the five-month long study was the same,
statistically, among those on placebo and those on 200, 400 or 600 IU
of vitamin D daily, ranging from 44 to 60 percent, the researchers
found. However, among participants taking 800 IU a day, the incidence
of falls was lower at 20 percent.

Many of the patients were also taking a multi-vitamin, Broe pointed
out, so those in the highest intake group were actually getting 800 to
1,200 IU of vitamin D daily. Among those taking just 400 IU of vitamin
D, the researchers found, half were deficient in the nutrient.

"There are many reasons why people fall," Broe noted. "Adequate
vitamin D intake is one of many things that may prevent falling."

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, February 2007.

Ron Peterson

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:51 pm

Guest

On Mar 1, 11:08 am, "Roman Bystrianyk" <rbystria...@gmail.com> wrote:

Quote:

http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/33/6/589 has a slightly
different interpretation where no claim is made for increase in muscle
strength. It says:
"Conclusions: vitamin D supplementation, in fallers with vitamin D
insufficiency, has a significant beneficial effect on functional
performance, reaction time and balance, but not muscle strength. This
suggests that vitamin D supplementation
improves neuromuscular or neuroprotective function, which may in part
explain the mechanism whereby vitamin D reduces
falls and fractures."

--
Ron

Jack

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:25 pm

Guest

it was years ago when I first heard the theory that many times elderly
fall because a bone breaks, instead of the other way around.

On 2 Mar 2007 16:51:22 -0800, "Ron Peterson" <ron@shell.core.com>
wrote:

Quote:

swabymanor@googlemail.com

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:35 pm

Guest

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20041009/bob8.asp
Vitamin Boost From muscle strength to immunity, scientists find new
vitamin D benefits Janet Raloff
discusses the role of Vitamin D in relation to muscle strength.
You may be interested in how much vitamin d the body uses daily. You
can see why such a small amount as 200iu or 400iu may not have much of
an impact on deficiency status.
Much higher amounts are perfectly safe to use as shown by
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/1/6 This Risk Assessment
for Vitamin D3.

Ed Friedman

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:35 pm

Guest

Ron Peterson wrote:

Quote:

On Mar 1, 11:08 am, "Roman Bystrianyk" <rbystria...@gmail.com> wrote:

Anne Harding, "Extra vitamin D reduces falls by elderly", Scientific
American, February 28, 2007,
Link:http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=0DF9DB3088320...

Getting plenty of vitamin D can help prevent falls among people living
in nursing homes, a new study confirms.

http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/33/6/589 has a slightly
different interpretation where no claim is made for increase in muscle
strength. It says:
"Conclusions: vitamin D supplementation, in fallers with vitamin D
insufficiency, has a significant beneficial effect on functional
performance, reaction time and balance, but not muscle strength. This
suggests that vitamin D supplementation
improves neuromuscular or neuroprotective function, which may in part
explain the mechanism whereby vitamin D reduces
falls and fractures."

--
Ron

Ron,

I think that your interpretation is correct. I don't have the reference
handy, but ~3 years ago there was a study that showed that all of the
elderly who had trouble walking or frequently fell were Vitamin D
deficient. When they supplemented with Vitamin D alone, no improvement
in muscle strength was observed. However, when they used something like
1200 mg. of calcium plus 1000 IU of Vitamin D per day, then all of the
subjects had improved muscle strength.

Ed Friedman

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