Maintaining vitamin D levels in nursing home patients
 In older adults, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (aka vitamin D3) blood levels of 75 nmol/L reduce the risk of fracture.
Eating a fortified bun once daily is all it takes to meet this goal, according to researchers Canada and Romania.
First, the details.
- 45 nursing home residents ate 1 bun daily that was fortified with 125 µg (5000 IU) vitamin D3 and 320 mg elemental calcium.
And, the results.
- At the start of the study, the average vitamin D blood level was 29 nmol/L.
- 12 months later, the vitamin D blood level was 126 nmol/L, and exceeded 74 nmol/L in 92% of patients.
- Z-scores for bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and the hip both increased significantly.
- A Z-score measures a patient’s bone mineral density compared to the average for their age, sex, and ethnicity.
The bottom line?
The authors came to 2 conclusions for older adults living in a nursing home.
- Fortifying bread with more vitamin D produced no bad effects and improved bone density.
- This approach provides a way to ensure that vitamin D–deficient older adults attain desirable vitamin D levels.
3/18/09 22:02 JR
