The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Vitamin D deficiency in older men

    This study was designed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in older men.

    More interesting is the finding that taking vitamin D supplements didn’t help.

    First, the details.

    • Randomly selected older men from 6 US communities participated in the study.
    • Blood concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 [25(OH)D2] and 25(OH)D3 were measured using mass spectrometry.

    And, the results.

    • Vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/mL) was present in 26% of men.
    • Vitamin D insufficiency (less than 30 ng/mL) was present in 72% of men.
      • Optimal blood levels are between 20 to 60 mg/dL.
    • Deficiency was particularly common among men under the following conditions.
      • Winter and spring (especially in northern communities)
      • Older than 80 years old
      • Obese men (greater than 25 kg/m2)
    • 86% of men who didn’t engage in lawn/garden work, had a BMI greater than 25, and vitamin D intake below 400 IU/day had vitamin D deficiency.
    • The use of vitamin D supplements was reported by 58% of men, but had a small effect on total vitamin D levels.

    The bottom line?
    Vitamin D deficiency is common in older men, and taking supplements is of limited value.

    More about vitamin D is available at the Osteoporosis and Bone Physiology website.

    4/27/09 20:11 JR

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