Living in a sunny climate does not improve vitamin D levels in hip fracture patients

March 19, 2013 in Health

While it is well known that a majority of hip fracture patients of all ages and both sexes have insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D, a new study presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) looks at whether or not living in a warm, sunny climate improves patient vitamin D levels.

Researchers retrospectively reviewed the levels of 1,539 patients, including 448 acute hip fracture patients and 1,091 total hip (THR) or total (TKR) patients, from December 2010 to December 2011 at a major medical center in southern California.

Patients were categorized based on their vitamin D levels – deficient, insufficient or sufficient – and according to age and sex. The mean vitamin D levels for the hip fracture and the THR and TKR patients were 26.38 ng/mL and 29.92 ng/mL, respectively. More patients in the hip fracture group were deficient or insufficient (65.8 percent versus 54 percent), and patients age 71 years and older were more deficient or insufficient in the group than the joint replacement group (66.7 percent versus 47.13 percent).

Overall, the majority of patients age 18 and older of both sexes with hip fractures had insufficient levels of vitamin D, and those age 71 or older had significantly lower levels than the of THA and TKA patients.

More information: www.aaos.org/

Provided by American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons search and more info website

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Seniors more likely to crash when driving with pet, study finds

(HealthDay)—Animals make great companions for senior citizens, but elderly people who always drive with a pet in the car are far more likely to crash than those who never drive with a pet, researchers have ...

Health created 7 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Driving and hands-free talking lead to spike in errors, study shows

Talking on a hands-free device while behind the wheel can lead to a sharp increase in errors that could imperil other drivers on the road, according to new research from the University of Alberta.

Health created May 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

About one in four uninsured could be excluded from ACA

(HealthDay)—More than one in four of those eligible for new premium assistance tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) do not have a checking account and will not be able to receive premiums from ...

Health created May 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Audiologists recommend smart phone apps to monitor noise levels

After studying noise in one French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans to determine whether or not noise levels exceeded municipal ordinances, Annette Hurley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Audiology at LSU Health Sciences Center ...

Health created May 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Young children who miss well-child visits are more likely to be hospitalized

Young children who missed more than half of recommended well-child visits had up to twice the risk of hospitalization compared to children who attended most of their visits, according to a study published today in the American Jo ...

Health created May 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


First drug to improve heart failure mortality in over a decade

Coenzyme Q10 decreases all cause mortality by half, according to the results of a multicentre randomised double blind trial presented today at Heart Failure 2013 congress. It is the first drug to improve heart failure mortality ...

Heart failure accelerates male 'menopause'

Heart failure accelerates the aging process and brings on early andropausal syndrome (AS), according to research presented today at the Heart Failure Congress 2013. AS, also referred to as male 'menopause', was four times ...

Death highest in heart failure patients admitted in January, on Friday, and overnight

Mortality and length of stay are highest in heart failure patients admitted in January, on Friday, and overnight, according to research presented today at the Heart Failure Congress 2013. The analysis of nearly 1 million ...

Feds fight morning-after pill age ruling in NY

(AP)—Department of Justice lawyers have again asked a federal appeals court in New York to delay lifting age restrictions and prescription requirements on an emergency contraceptive popularly known as the morning-after ...

New immune system discovered

(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.

Brain can be trained in compassion, study shows

Until now, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion—the emotional state of caring for people who are suffering in a way that motivates altruistic behavior.