Prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in Scottish adults with non-vertebral fragility fractures

Abstract

This study confirms almost universal vitamin D inadequacy among 548 elderly patients admitted to hospital with hip fracture, regardless of whether a threshold of 50 nmol/L or 70 nmol/L was used. However, among a prospective subset of 50 patients with clinical fragility fractures, especially those with non-hip fractures, the prevalence of inadequacy was substantially lower. It may be that vitamin D represents a correctable risk factor for fragility fracture in the elderly, possibly specifically for the hip.