title: Epidemic vitamin D deficiency among patients in an elderly care rehabilitation facility.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many benefits are ascribed to vitamin D beyond its well-known effects on calcium and bone metabolism. Vitamin D in adequate amounts is apparently beneficial to muscle, lessening the risk of falls and fractures in the elderly. The elderly produce less vitamin D in their skin than younger persons do, and they also spend less time in the sun; they are therefore at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used gas chromatography with mass spectrometry coupling to measure the 25-OH-vitamin D level of 1578 elderly persons (72% women) who were consecutively admitted to an elderly care rehabilitation facility in Trier, Germany, from July 2009 to March 2011. Their mean and median age was 82 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  89% of the patients had 25-OH-vitamin D deficiency (defined as a level below 20 ng/mL), and 67% had a severe deficiency (below 10 ng/mL). Only 4% had levels in the target range (30-60 ng/mL); none had a level above 100 ng/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many of these patients were deficient in vitamin D. Persons of very advanced age need a better supply of vitamin D not only to keep their bones healthy, but also to lessen the risk of falls and fractures.
authors.affiliation: Geriatrische Rehabilitationsklinik St. Irminen, Trier, Germany. s.schilling@vereinigtehospitien.de
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schilling
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D058872:Epidemics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012016:Reference Values; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D