Fall prevention and vitamin D in the elderly: an overview of the key role of the non-bone effects

Preventing falls and fall-related fractures in the elderly is an objective yet to be reached. There is increasing evidence that a supplementation of vitamin D and/or of calcium may reduce the fall and fracture rates. A vitamin D-calcium supplement appears to have a high potential due to its simple a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation 2010-10, Vol.7 (1), p.50-50, Article 50
Main Authors: Annweiler, Cedric, Montero-Odasso, Manuel, Schott, Anne M, Berrut, Gilles, Fantino, Bruno, Beauchet, Olivier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental Falls
Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Accidental Falls - statistics & numerical data
Aged
Aged - physiology
Alfacalcidol
Bone density
Calcifediol
Care and treatment
Falls (Accidents)
Fractures
Fractures, Bone
Fractures, Bone - epidemiology
Fractures, Bone - prevention & control
Geriatry and gerontology
Health aspects
Human health and pathology
Humans
Life Sciences
Muscle, Skeletal
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Nervous System Physiological Phenomena
Neurons and Cognition
Older people
Physiological aspects
Postural Balance
Postural Balance - physiology
Prevention
Review
Risk
Risk factors
Studies
Vitamin D
Vitamin D - physiology
Vitamin D - therapeutic use
Vitamins
Vitamins - therapeutic use
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Summary:Preventing falls and fall-related fractures in the elderly is an objective yet to be reached. There is increasing evidence that a supplementation of vitamin D and/or of calcium may reduce the fall and fracture rates. A vitamin D-calcium supplement appears to have a high potential due to its simple application and its low cost. However, published studies have shown conflicting results as some studies failed to show any effect, while others reported a significant decrease of falls and fractures. Through a 15-year literature overview, and after a brief reminder on mechanism of falls in older adults, we reported evidences for a vitamin D action on postural adaptations - i.e., muscles and central nervous system - which may explain the decreased fall and bone fracture rates and we underlined the reasons for differences and controversies between published data. Vitamin D supplementation should thus be integrated into primary and secondary fall prevention strategies in older adults.
ISSN:1743-0003
1743-0003
DOI:10.1186/1743-0003-7-50