VITAMIN-D CONCENTRATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH HIP FRACTURE IN MADRID, SPAIN

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D appears to be implicated in the loss of bone mas s and its most severe complication is the hip fracture, A change is pr oduced in the metabolism of vitamin D in elderly people although its s tudy has received little attention in many countries. METHODS: With th e aim of evaluating vitamin D and its metabolites in the elderly peopl e with hip fracture in our geographic environment (Madrid, Spain), 58 patients with hip fracture over the age of 70, and 39 subjects without a fracture or the similar age were studied, Both groups were evaluate d during the season of minimum solar irradiation, The plasma concentra tions of intact PTH and the serum concentrations of calcidiol and calc itriol were studied in all the patients, RESULTS: The patients with hi p fracture presented significantly lower concentrations of calcidiol ( 11.7 +/- 6.4 vs. 18.4 +/- 12.7 nmol/l) and calcitriol (60.1 +/- 24.7 v s. 76.1 +/- 25.0 pmol/l) than in elderly persons without fracture, wit h similar PTH values being observed in both groups (4.8 +/- 1.9 vs. 5. 1 +/- 2.3 pmol/l). Conclusions: Although Madrid, Spain is considered t o be a geographical area of high solar irradiation, the elderly popula tion studied presented a vitamin D deficiency which was found to be gr eater in those with hip fracture.