title: "Vitamin D - why does it matter?" - defining vitamin D deficiency and its prevalence.
abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in about 50 % of adults and limited data support a similar prevalence in children. This is of concern, as vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for falls and fractures and several double-blind RCTs provide evidence that supplementation reduces the risk of fall and fractures among the senior population. Further, large epidemiologic studies consistently report that vitamin D deficiency confers an increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer, especially colo-rectal cancer. However, as large clinical trials for non-musculoskeletal endpoints are missing today, public health recommendations are based primarily on bone health to argue vitamin D repletion in the population.
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging and Mobility, University of Zurich and Dept. of Rheumatology, University Hospital, Zurich Switzerland. heikeabischoff@aol.com
authors.forename: Heike A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bischoff-Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*