Search

Testing vitamin D status In this review article, the author points out that more than 50 metabolites of vitamin D have been described, but only a few of these have [...]

A topic of current widespread interest is that of vitamin D and its role in health and disease. In the July 2008 issue of the Townsend Letter, (1) Dr. J. [...]

Byline: Bowman, Alisa The nutrient you need now Find out how to get more disease-fighting, fatigue-banishing vitamin D--without exposing yourself to the sun's damaging rays. By Alisa Bowman A few [...]

Fractures in the elderly represent a major threat in terms of life expectancy and quality of life. Modern therapeutics in the fight against fractures in the elderly require pluripotent efficacy in both preserving bone mineral density and limiting falls. Indeed, epidemiological evidence has recently highlighted that agents with a targeted action on bone only may fail to prevent up to 50% of the fractures observed in patients over 60 years. Furthermore, there are growing fundamental and clinical evidences that native vitamin D is unable to reduce falls and fractures in vitamin-D replete patients and patient with deficient renal function. D-hormone analogs (Alfacalcidol and Calcitriol) have been scrutinized for two decades for their abilities to prevent BMD loss, fractures, and, more recently, falls. Alfacalcidol (1alpha (OH) D3), notably by bypassing the renal endogenous feedback loop regulation, is a synthetic vitamin D derivative with more favourable pharmacokinetic and tolerability profiles as compared to calcitriol (1,25) [(OH).sub.2] [D.sub.3]). Encouraging results from pilot studies have driven research, and led to modern data able to support a pseudo Copernician change by switching from supplementation with vitamin D to actively treat bone, muscle, and neuro-coordination with Alfacalcidol. This systematic narrative review browses the current pilot, clinical and meta-analytical data to demonstrate, in an evidence-based fashion, that the D-Hormone analog Alfacalcidol is an excellent candidate in preventing falls and fractures to a greater extent as compared to native vitamin D. The continuum of evidence synthesized in this paper highlights the necessary change in medical paradigm to efficiently prevent fractures in the elderly, and opens new research pathways, notably in combination therapies with Alfacalcidol., Age-related fractures; a multifactorial paradigm Clinical experience and epidemiological data demonstrate that mobility and balance are key determinants of improved quality of life in worldwide aging populations. Falls currently tends [...]

A position statement regarding the calcium and bone health is developed and presented by the Working Group of the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society, Osteoporosis Australia and the Endocrine Society of Australia. The study demonstrates that an increase in the calcium intake normally doesnEt cause any additional health benefits.

DR. CASSILETH: The recommendation to minimize sun exposure to prevent skin cancer has produced a pandemic of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D has generated considerable interest in the past decade, [...]

Ever since its discovery, vitamin D has had a history of alternately being good for you and bad for you. Initially, it was very good, because it was effective for [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a British study of 2,160 women, researchers compared subjects' blood levels of vitamin D to changes in their DNA (in units called telomeres, which shorten as you […]

A seven-year study from the Women's Health Initiative has found that taking calcium and vitamin D supplements does not broadly prevent women over 50 from breaking bones. Neither did the [...]

There's been talk in the news that part of the calcium-osteoporosis crisis is due to lack of sufficient vitamin D. In fact, some highly criticized medical advice issued early this [...]