Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation among Aged Residents in Nursing Homes.
J Nutr Health Aging. 2007 Sep-Oct;11(5):433-7.
Suominen MH, Hosia Randell HM, Muurinen S, Peiponen A, Routasalo P, Soini H, Suur Uski I, Pitkala KH.
Background: Aged residents in nursing homes are at particularly high risk of fractures. Vitamin D and calcium have a preventative role. Objective: To describe the use of vitamin D and calcium supplementations, and their association with nutritional factors among nursing home residents.
Methods: Our study is a cross-sectional assessment of long-term residents in all nursing homes in Helsinki during February 2003. We collected residents' background information, nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment, MNA), and data on daily nursing routines in institutions, including nutritional care. Vitamin D and calcium supplementations were inquired after in the questionnaire and retrieved from residents' medication lists.
Results: 2,114 (87%) of all 2,424 eligible residents had available data on the use of vitamin D and calcium supplementation. Their mean age was 83 years, and 80.7% were female. Of all participants, 32.9% received vitamin D supplementation and 27.7% calcium supplementation. Altogether 20.0% received both. However, only 21.3% received vitamin D in the therapeutic dose of 10mg (400 IU) or more, and 3.6% in the recommended dose of 20microg (800 IU) or more. In logistic regression analysis, residents who received vitamin D supplementation also had better nutritional status (MNA), ate snacks between meals, did not have constipation and their weight was checked more frequently.
Conclusions: Regardless of the known benefit and recommendation of vitamin D supplementation for the elderly residing mostly indoors, the proportion of nursing home residents receiving vitamin D and calcium was surprisingly low.
Potential benefit of oral calcium/vitamin d administration for prevention of symptomatic hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy.
Endocr Regul. 2007 Mar;41(1):35.
Kurukahvecioglu O, Karamercan A, Akin M, Tezel E, Ege B, Taneri F, Onuk E.
Objective: To evaluate routine oral calcium and vitamin D administration for preventing symptoms of hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy.
Subjects and methods: A total of 487 consecutive patients were prospectively randomized into two groups in terms of routine oral calcium and vitamin D supplementation: In the control group (244 patients) the treatment was not routinely started after surgery, whereas the treated group (243 patients) received routine supplementation that started on postoperative day 1.
Results: Patients of treated group had only minor hypocalcemia symptoms, whereas 7 patients of control group experienced carpopedal spasm as a major symptom (p<0.001). None of the patients in the treated group required intravenous calcium administration. Average hospital stay of the treated group patients was significantly shorter than that of control group (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Routine postoperative calcium and vitamin D supplementation therapy may be useful for the prevention of symptomatic hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy and may allow for a safe and early discharge from the hospital. Key words: Thyroidectomy Hypocalcemia Calcium - Vitamin D - Dietary supplementation.
Prevention of Osteoporosis: Four-Year Follow-Up of a Cohort of Postmenopausal Women Treated with an Ossein-Hydroxyapatite Compound.
Clinical Drug Investigation. 27(4):227-232, 2007.
Fernandez-Pareja A, Hernandez-Blanco E, Perez-Maceda JM, Riera Rubio VJ, Palazuelos JH, Dalmau JM.
Background: The long-term effects of ossein-hydroxyapatite compound (OHC), a drug used for osteoporosis prevention, have not been previously reported. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term efficacy of OHC in postmenopausal women with bone mineral density (BMD) in the osteopenia range.
Methods: We performed a retrospective 4-year follow-up study in a primary-care setting to assess changes in BMD in a cohort of 112 postmenopausal women included in an osteoporosis programme that included health and dietary advice and who were treated with OHC 1660mg every 12 hours. BMD was measured annually in the distal part of the forearm, with T- and Z-score values being calculated for trabecular and total bone.
Results: A progressive and statistically significant increase in BMD was observed in trabecular and total T- and Z-score mean values. At baseline, mean +/- SD trabecular T- and Z-scores were -1.27 +/- 0.7 and -1.03 +/- 0.7, respectively, and -0.86 +/- 0.7 and -0.62 +/- 0.7, respectively, at the end of the 4-year follow-up period (both p < 0.0001). Mild constipation was observed in 3.2% of patients during the follow-up period.
Conclusion: Ossein-hydroxyapatite compound could be an effective and safe agent for the prevention of bone loss in postmenopausal osteopenic women, with significant increases in BMD being observed in this group of patients.
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