title: Quality-of-life indicators and falls due to vitamin D deficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the number of falls and quality-of-life indicators relate to serum levels of vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and calcium levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients being admitted with a fall with or without sustaining a fragility fracture post fall.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measured frequency of falling, SF-12 questionnaire, serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium, and PTH levels before and after treatment with vitamin D supplementation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age (N=38) of the cohort was 80.2±12. In all, 76.3% of the cohort had sustained a fragility fracture after the fall. The cohort was vitamin D deficient with the pretreatment mean value of 24.2±17 nmol/L and posttreatment mean value of 99±40 nmol/L with a statistically significant mean difference of 74.7 nmol/L (confidence interval [CI] 61.27-88.3), P=0.001. The levels of calcium and PTH were statistically significant after treatment with a mean difference of 0.16 (CI 0.1-0.2), P=0.001, and 3.7 (CI -4.8 to -2.5), P=0.001, respectively. After treatment, the mean difference of physical component score (PCS) and mental component score for the whole cohort was 2.9 (CI -0.69 to 6.6), P=0.10, and 1.05 (CI -2.6 to 4.7), P=0.56, respectively. However, a subgroup analysis for cohort aged ≤70 years provided a statistically significant effect on PCS with a mean difference of 8.9 (CI 1.3-16.4), P=0.03, but a statistically insignificant improvement in mental component score with a mean difference of 6.0 (CI -17 to -5.0), P=0.20. However, a statistically significant improvement in PCS SF-12 was observed in patients ≤70 years of age 2.9 (1.3-16.4), P=0.03. The mean number of falls for the whole cohort pre- and posttreatment was 1.11±0.92 vs 0.97±0.99 (P=0.68), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who had fallen and sustained fragility fracture had lower serum 25-dihydroxyvitamin D and higher serum PTH levels. Our study demonstrates that there is no statistically significant improvement in the number of falls after treatment with vitamin D. Overall, vitamin D levels improved significantly, this is despite quality-of-life indicators showing a mean increase in PCS but not a statistically significant improvement. However, statistically significant improvement in PCS was observed in group aged ≤70 years after vitamin D supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, NHS Hospitals, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Muhammad Raza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cheema
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, NHS Hospitals, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Ahmad Yar
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
keywords: SF-12 questionnaire; calcium; parathyroid hormone; vitamin D