engleski

Vitamin D in fall risk prevention in the elderly: current literature review

Nutrition and nutritional status are very important for the elderly. A balanced diet taken in adequate amounts usually provides vitamins and minerals needed by the elderly ; however, vitamin D, B1, B6 & B12 and folic acid deficiencies in this population are not uncommon. Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining calcium and bone metabolism. The lack of vitamin D and calcium are associated with osteoporosis, osteomalacia, falls and fractures in old age. This study aims to investigate into the impact of vitamin D on prevention of falls in the elderly. For the purpose of this literature review, the PubMed database was searched using the following keywords: fall risk, vitamin D, older population. The search was narrowed down to the contributions published in the last 10 years. The search yielded 7 publications that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Vitamin D deficiency in older age can range from the 30th to the 50th percentile. Vitamin D serum levels were inversely associated with the first fall risk. This effect was more prominent in patients who were vitamin D- deficient at baseline and those co-administered with calcium. The quality of the evidence is low to moderate due to the heterogeneity and publication bias. Interventional measures seem necessary to increase vitamin D status and subsequently decrease the risk of falls associated with fractures and other major injuries. However, evidence gathered insofar does not allow for the determination of benefits and harms of taking vitamin D or calcium supplements in order to prevent fractures in premenopausal elderly, since the data are limited and inconsistent. Based on the available literature, it can be concluded that the intake of vitamin D in the elderly is often insufficient and can be related to falls and fractures.

fall risk ; vitamin D ; older population

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