Vitamin D and attainment of peak bone mass among peripubertal Finnish girls: a 3-y prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the effect of vitamin D status on bone gain in adolescents.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to examine whether vitamin D status is associated with accrual of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral apparent density (BMAD).


METHODS
This 3-y prospective study examined the association between changes in BMD or BMAD and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in 171 healthy Finnish girls aged 9-15 y. Lumbar spine and femoral neck BMDs were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.


RESULTS
Baseline 25(OH)D correlated significantly with the unadjusted 3-y change in BMD at the lumbar spine (r = 0.35, P < 0.001) and femoral neck (r = 0.32, P < 0.001) in all participants. The difference from baseline in adjusted 3-y BMD accumulation between those with severe hypovitaminosis D [25(OH)D < 20 nmol/L] and those with a normal vitamin D status [25(OH)D > or = 37.5 nmol/L] was 4% (12.7%, 13.1%, and 16.7% for the lowest, middle, and highest tertiles of 25(OH)D, respectively; P for trend = 0.01) at the lumbar spine in the girls with advanced sexual maturation at baseline (n = 129). Moreover, the adjusted change in lumbar spine BMD was 27% greater in the highest vitamin D intake tertile than in the lowest tertile in the same girls (P for trend = 0.016).


CONCLUSIONS
Pubertal girls with hypovitaminosis D seem to be at risk of not reaching maximum peak bone mass, particularly at the lumbar spine. Dietary enrichment or supplementation with vitamin D should be considered to ensure an adequate vitamin D status.
Lehtonen-Veromaa
Marjo K M
MK
Paavo Nurmi Centre, Sport and Exercise Medicine Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Möttönen
Timo T
TT
Nuotio
Ilpo O
IO
Irjala
Kerttu M A
KM
Leino
Aila E
AE
Viikari
Jorma S A
JS
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D015519:Bone Density; D001846:Bone Development; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008572:Menarche; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011627:Puberty; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014807:Vitamin D; D002112:Calcifediol