先日スコットランドで発表された研究報告によると、過去４年間に腰の骨を折ってサウスグラスゴウ大学病院に入院した６０歳を超える患者の９８％がビタミンD欠乏症であり、２５％に至っては「計測不能」であるほどに欠乏していたという。ビタミンDは、カルシウムやリンの吸収を促し、骨や歯に沈着させる作用がある。またこの研究では、これらの患者層に、年齢別と性別による症状の偏りが全くみられなかった事も明らかにされている。腰の骨の骨折は、老年代にとっては寝たきりや更なる大病へ繋がる。従って、研究グループは、専門医の骨粗鬆症患者へのビタミンD投与を強く推奨している。

Vitamin D Low in 98% of Elderly Who Break Hip

According to the research presented its results in Scotland lately, about 98% of elder patients older than 60 years of age, who had fractured hips and been hospitalized at South Glasgow University Hospital in the previous 4 years, were vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, 25% of the total patients were “unrecordable” deficiency. Vitamin D facilitates the absorption of calcium and phosphates from food and is essential for the development and maintenance of bones and tooth. The results also reported that the age and sex of those patients did not distinguish their condition at all. A hip fracture could be the major cause of life of invalid and more serious illnesses for the aged. The study group therefore recommends doctors in the field to prescribe vitamin D for their osteoporotic patients.

REFERENCE

(2005, August 1). Vitamin D low in nearly all elderly who break hip.

Medline Plus – the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of

Health, Retrieved August 8, 2005, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus