title: [Fall risk and fracture. Vitamin D and falls/fractures].
abstract: Vitamin D affects both bone and muscle. Recent meta-analyses of high-quality trials showed that both native vitamin D and active forms of vitamin D3 significantly reduced the risk of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures. These anti-fracture efficacies of vitamin D are considered to be mainly exerted through direct effects on mineral metabolism. In addition, recent evidence suggests that vitamin D significantly prevents falls, to indirectly reduce fall-related fractures. The preventive effect on falls by vitamin D is considered to be exerted through effects on muscle, at least in part. Eldecalcitol, a new active vitamin D3 analogue, increases bone mineral density and shows greater evident anti-fracture efficacy than alfacalcidol. However, its effects in preventing falls remain unclear and warrant clarification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Naohisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyakoshi
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D