title: Bone density, vitamin D nutrition, and parathyroid hormone levels in women with dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether patients with dementia have reduced bone mass, altered vitamin D, or parathyroid hormone status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital outpatient department.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty women with DSM-III-R mild dementia living in the community were compared with 40 cognitively normal community-dwelling women, matched for age, who had been recruited as part of studies in elderly twins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bone density at the lumbar spine and neck of femur by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, intact serum PTH, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in bone density between the subjects with mild dementia and the age- and sex-matched controls. The intact PTH (mean +/- SD) in the demented subjects was 4.9 +/- 2.1 pmol/L compared with 2.9 +/- 1.7 pmol/L in the twin controls (P < .01). The mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the demented subjects was 61 +/- 33 nmol/L, whereas it was 90 +/- 38 nmol/L in the twin controls (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that there were no significant differences in the bone density of community-dwelling women with mild dementia compared with normals. However, there were significant differences in parathyroid hormone and vitamin D levels between the two groups, suggesting that there is a high prevalence of subclinical hypovitaminosis D in demented women in the community.
authors.affiliation: National Research Institute of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, North West Hospital, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kipen
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Helme
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wark
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flicker
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D015519:Bone Density; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D015995:Prevalence; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone