Vitamin D And Bone Health (NAPSA)—Newly issued rec- ommendations on vitamin D can help physicians more effectively address the bone health concerns of older Americans. According to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 70 percent of women ages 50-70 and nearly 90 percent of women over 70 do not get an adequate amount of vitamin D through food and supplements. The new set of recommendations was provided by a panelof experts convened by the American Med- clinical director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University School of for revised treatment guidelines. The panel also recommended that supplements be used as the primary source of vitamin D for panel. “These recommendations will serve to call attention to the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and ensure that patients, particularly women and men over 50, receive optimalcare.” In the recommendations, the panel expressed concern that current recommended guidelines on vitamin D do not provide for opti- Medicine, and chair of the expert most individuals. Although over 90 amin D, along with calcium and exercise, is a key element to maintaining bone health. Vitamin D helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium, which is critical for building strong, healthy bones. Vitamin D deficiency has often been linked directly to osteoporosis, a debilitating bone disease that affects 10 million Americans and is esti- in adults over 50 to 800-1000 IU. In addition to the data that found 70 to 90 percent of postmenopausal women are vitamin D defi- percent of vitamin D can be obtained through sun exposure, the panel agreed that this is becoming increasingly difficult as a result of the widespread use of sunscreen and protective clothing, due to concerns about skin cancer and other skin diseases, aging and geographic limitations. Vitamin D is also found in a limited numberof foods, such as fatty fish, and in certain fortified foods. However, many of these foods are not part of most people’s diets or must be consumedin large volumes to meet the requirement, making supplements therealistic choice of vitamin D intake for many older Americans. The experts stated that the recommendations should serve as a guide for treating patients and are sufficient for most. However, they emphasized that vitamin D deficiency should ultimately be treated on a patient-by-patient basis, and encouraged patients to speak with their physician to determine how much vitamin D is right for their bone health needs. cans over 50 by 2020. “We agreed that there is a need for increased awarenessof the role of vitamin D in osteoporosis treatment,” said Felicia Cosman, MD, that over half of postmenopausal women already receiving medicines used to treat osteoporosis have inadequate levels of vitamin D, further underscoring the need ommendations and vitamin D’s role in bone health, talk to your physician or visit www.amwa-doc.org to view/download an online patient brochure. ical Women’s Association (AMWA) in response to widespread vitamin D deficiency and to help generate greater understanding of the role of vitamin D in bonehealth. Accordingto thefirst ever Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General (2004), vit- mated to impact one in two Ameri- Vitamin D deficiency has often been linked directly to osteoporosis, a debilitating bonedisease that affects 10 million Americans and is estimated to impact one in two Americans over 50 by 2020. @Q mal bone health and called for an increasein daily vitamin D intake from 400 international units (IU) cient, an additional study found To find out more about the rec-
