Vitamin D serum levels and muscle strength in patients with previous fractures.


N Z Med J. 2007 Sep 21;120(1262):U2730.

Vitamin D and muscle strength in patients with previous fractures.

Inderjeeth CA, Glennon D, Petta A, Soderstrom J,
Boyatzis I, Tapper J.

Area Rehabilitation and Aged Care,
Osborne Park Hospital Program,
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital,
Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Charles.Inderjeeth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AIM:
To assess the vitamin D status and its
association with objective left leg
muscle strength measurements in patients
with long-bone fracture discharged from
a tertiary hospital in Western Australia.
The secondary objective was to
determine whether tests of balance and
functional status are valid predictors of
muscle strength and if they correlate
with serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD)
levels.

METHODS:
This was a cross sectional
study. Patients who had been discharged from a
tertiary hospital following a low impact fracture over a
12-month period were invited to participate.
Invitation was through a postal
survey audit of osteoporosis risk and
treatment and requesting participation in
the study. Females over the age of 60
were included. Patients agreeing to
participate were invited to attend a
research clinic. Patients had demographic
data, muscle strength, functional
assessments, and biochemical parameters
including serum 25OHD assessed.

RESULTS:
Of the 99 subjects who completed the
study, the mean 25OHD level was 52.0 nmol/L.
The main univariate associations
with 25OHD were cognitive function,
functional indices, sun exposure, albumin,
and parathyroid hormone (PTH).
In a multivariate model,the strongest and most
significant association was between
muscle strength and 25OHD levels (r=0.489,
p<0.001). Muscle strength was most
strongly associated with 25OHD levels >50
nmol/L (r=0.51, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION:
This study demonstrates a significant
association between 25OHD levels and
left leg muscle strength. This independent
association supports the hypothesis that
25OHD deficiency may be responsible for
poor muscle strength.

PMID: 17891218

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