title: Hypovitaminosis D and prevalent asymptomatic vertebral fractures in Moroccan postmenopausal women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypovitaminosis D is associated to accentuated bone loss. However, association between osteoporotic vertebral fractures (VFs) and vitamin D status has not been clearly established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine serum vitamin D status and to assess the association of vitamin D status with bone mineral density (BMD) and asymptomatic VFs prevalence using vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) in a cohort of Moroccan menopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  from June to September 2010, 178 menopausal women 50 years old and over were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The mean ± SD (range) age, weight, height and BMI were 58.8 ± 8.2 (50 to 79) years, 73.2 ± 13.8 (35 to 119) Kgs, 1.56 ± 0.06 (1.43 - 1.79) m and 29.8 ± 5.9 (17.5 - 49.8) kg/m2, respectively. VFA images and scans of the lumbar spine and proximal femur were obtained using a GE Healthcare Lunar Prodigy densitometer. VFs were defined using a combination of Genant semiquantitative approach and morphometry. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 178 women, 45 (25.2%) had densitometric osteoporosis, and on VFA, VFs (grade 2 or 3) were detected in 20.2% while grade 1 were identified in 33.1%. The mean values of serum levels of 25(OH)D were 15.8 ± 11.6 ng/ml (range: 3.0 - 49.1) with 152 patients (85.3%) having levels <30 ng/ml (insufficiency) and 92 (51.6%) <10 ng/ml (deficiency). Stepwise regression analysis showed that presence of VFs was independently related to age, 25(OH)D and densitometric osteoporosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  our study shows that advanced age, hypovitaminosis D and osteoporosis are independent risk factors for asymptomatic VFs in Moroccan postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Military Hospital Mohammed V, PO Box 1018 Rabat, Morocco. aelmaghraoui@gmail.com
authors.forename: Abdellah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Maghraoui
authors.forename: Zhor
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ouzzif
authors.forename: Aziza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mounach
authors.forename: Asmaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rezqi
authors.forename: Lahsen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Achemlal
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bezza
authors.forename: Saida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tellal
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dehhaoui
authors.forename: Imad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ghozlani
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco / Q000453:epidemiology; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D017698:Postmenopause; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D