Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis using Vitamin D among Elderly Women

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a condition that is partly caused by a deficiency in vitamin D and results in fragile bones that are prone to fractures. This review studied the prevention of osteoporosis using vitamin d among elderlies.
Methods: In this review, an electronic search was conducted in Medline, EmBase and Cochrane databases. Various primary and secondary subject headings related to vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were combined and used to perform Boolean searches. The primary focus of the study was to assess the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in different populations, with a particular emphasis on elderly population with osteoporosis. The prevalence data were sorted first by vitamin D status and then by age. Only clinical trials that assess the effect of vitamin D in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis.
Results: This review evaluated 16 studies focused on the effects of vitamin D supplementation on hip fractures and bone density in a group of 2537 participants. The review found that plain vitamin D supplementation did not reduce the incidence of hip fractures. However, the use of alfacalcidol, a form of vitamin D, was found to increase lumbar bone density and inhibit the decrease in total body bone density. It is important to maintain an adequate intake of calcium to maintain a balanced diet.
Conclusions: The best way to meet daily requirements is through the consumption of high calcium-containing foods, or by taking calcium supplements. In the prevention of osteoporosis, many individuals, especially postmenopausal women, do not consume enough calcium from their diet and may need to take supplements.