title: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and relationship with fracture risk in older women presenting in Australian general practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate vitamin D status among older women and to explore relationships between vitamin D and fracture risk and vertebral fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 267 general practitioners recruited 2466 women aged >70 years with no known osteoporosis or fragility fracture. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D), bone mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and vertebral fracture on thoracolumbar X-ray were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2368 women, median age 76 years, provided data and of these 13% were on vitamin D supplements. 25(OH)D levels were available for 907 (44.1%) of those not taking vitamin D. 88.3% of these had a level below 75 nmol/L. Serum 25(OH)D was negatively associated with age (P = 0.003) and body mass index (P < 0.001), and positively associated with lower latitude, femoral neck DXA T-score (P = 0.044) and being Caucasian (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The vitamin D status of community-dwelling older Australian women is inadequate, yet the use of supplements is low.
authors.affiliation: Women's Health Research Program, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Servier Laboratories, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia School of Primary Health Care, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Penelope J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Robin J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzafame
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weekes
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piterman
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015519:Bone Density; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: fracture prevention; older people; osteoporosis; vitamin D