SEATTLE, WA, October 3, 2004 More than half of women currently treated for osteoporosis have suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to new research presented today at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) meeting in Seattle. Study results demonstrated that despite routine physician recommendations that women diagnosed and treated for osteoporosis take over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin D supplementation, vitamin D inadequacy is still highly prevalent in this population. The National Osteoporosis Foundation advises getting recommended daily amounts of vitamin D and calcium as one of the five steps involved in bone health and osteoporosis prevention.

More than 10 million people in the United States are estimated to have osteoporosis and 80 percent are women. Vitamin D, an essential component of osteoporosis therapy, helps to ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone.

"While women may know that calcium is an important part of bone health, this research shows that some women on treatment for osteoporosis are unaware of the important role vitamin D plays or are simply not getting adequate amounts as part of their treatment regimen," said Ethel Siris, MD, Madeline C. Stabile Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and director of the Toni Stabile Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

"Getting enough vitamin D, whether through supplements, proper food choices or appropriate and careful exposure to sunlight, is vital to managing osteoporosis."

The study showed that prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy was significantly higher in women who took less than 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D supplementation daily compared with those who took at least 400 IU or more daily (63 percent versus 45 percent, respectively); p<0.001.
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Contact: Craig LeMoult
212-305-0820
Cohn & Wolfe
3-Oct-2004

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