Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Medicines Used To Treat Osteoporosis.
Shari Roan writing in the Los Angeles Times reported that, according to research presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, “adequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream also appear to boost the power of bisphosphonates, medications used to treat osteoporosis.” In their study, “researchers found that having a circulating vitamin D level greater than 33 nanograms per milliliter was linked to a seven times greater likelihood of having a good response to bisphosphonates.”
Increasing Milk Intake Will Not Significantly Reduce Risk For Hip Fracture.
Laura Dean writing in Medwire reported that, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, increasing milk intake will not significantly cut a person’s risk for hip fracture. The study looking at both men and women found no correlation between milk intake and reduced risk for fractures of the hip.
In contrast to a previous blog posting about Americans not getting enough vitamin D, Rob Stein writing in the Washington Post reported that the Institute of Medicine “released new recommendations for how much vitamin D people should be getting on a regular basis.” He continues, “In spite of mounting pressure to urge many Americans to sharply boost their vitamin D levels, they did not advocate a huge increase.” In fact, “an expert committee concluded that most Americans and Canadians up to age 70 need no more than 600 international units of vitamin D per day.” ”The analysis showed that the risk for vitamin D deficiency differed by age, sex and race or ethnicity,” Robert Preidt added in HealthDay. Basically… it’s all confusing and patient care needs to be given on a case-by-case method.
One Third Of Americans May Not Be Getting Enough Vitamin D.
Mary Brophy Marcus writing in USA Today reports, “About one third of Americans are not getting enough vitamin D,” according to a National Center for Health Statistics data brief by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report “parallels what many other studies have suggested in recent years: that a large chunk of the population is at risk for low vitamin D levels.” Although approximately “two-thirds had sufficient levels… about a third were in ranges suggesting risk of either inadequate or deficient levels, says report author Anne Looker, a research scientist with the CDC.” Not enough vitamin D… Hmmm. Maybe yes… maybe no.
