title: Bone density, parathyroid hormone, calcium and vitamin D nutritional status of institutionalized elderly subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoporosis is characterized by a decrease in bone mass and a change in bone microarchitecture. This causes skeletal fragility and may result in fractures. Fractures of the femur neck (FM) are frequent and have major consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality in elderly subjects. We carried out a cross-sectional study to evaluate bone and nutritional status in an elderly population from a same geriatrics department.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to screen for nutritional deficiencies and to measure bone mineral density (BMD) in the femur neck by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 64 white Caucasian subjects, 44 of whom were women. The mean age of the subjects was 80.6 +/- 7.1 years. The mean time since the menopause was 31.45 +/- 7.8 years and 31 subjects presented previous fractures, 12 of which concerned the FM. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.8 +/- 4.4 and mean calcium intake was 670 +/- 258.3 mg/d. Mean PTH level was 48.5 +/- 30.34. Thirty-five subjects presented vitamin D deficiencies (mean concentration 8.56 +/- 5.2 microg/L), and 11 of these patients had associated secondary hyperparathyroidism. Fifty-four subjects had osteoporosis (T score <-2.5 standard deviation). Mean bone mineral density (BMD) was 0.596 +/- 0.157 g/cm2 for the femur neck (T score = -3.15 +/- 1.39 standard deviation) and 0.501 +/- 0.169 g/cm2 for the trochanter (T score = - 2.55 +/- 1.68 standard deviation).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency and low calcium intake were observed in a large number of elderly subjects. The patients with the lowest BMD values had secondary hyperparathyroidism.
authors.affiliation: Service de rhumatologie, CHU la miletrie. 86000 Poitiers. France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deplas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Debiais
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcalay
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bontoux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D006962:Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium