VITAMIN D LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH FRACTURES AROUND THE HIP....A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY

Introduction: Assessment and treatment of osteoporosis are recommended following hip fracture. Osteoporosis treatment assumes an adequate calcium intake and a normal vitamin D plasma level. The authors conducted a study in three phases. Materials and Methods: The authors conducted a study in three phases. Phase I : circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were retrospectively recorded from in the case records of 381 consecutive patients with 387 hip fractures, between May 2015 and November 2016. Only 27 patients had sufficient (>75 nmol/L) circulating vitamin D, and of these 22 were taking vitamin D supplements. The remainder, 354 patients, had abnormally low vitamin D levels, with a mean value of 26.4 nmol/L. These findings confirmed literature data, and gave rise to the prospective Phase II (December 2016) : 14 consecutive patients with a hip fracture received rapid substitution therapy with 50,000 IU cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) daily for 3 days. Patients with corrected calcium level (calcium level based on the serum albumin level) > 2.60 mmol/L were excluded from phase II (and phase III), in order to avoid hypercalcemia. Substitution resulted in an increase in vitamin D plasma levels from +/- 29.6 nmol/L to +/- 81.4 nmol/L (p < 0.0001), after +/- 14 days. However, vitamin D level remained below the desired threshold of 75 nmol/L in 29%. Therefore it was decided to increase the treatment period from 3 days to 7 days in the next 54 patients with a hip fracture in a prospective phase III (December 2016-March 2017). This time rapid substitution resulted in an increase from +/-31.4 nmol/L to +/-131.1 nmol/L (p < 0.0001), after +/- 16 days, and 100% of treated patients achieved plasma levels above the desired threshold of 75 nmol/L. Results: Virtually all patients with a hip fracture have low vitamin D plasma levels ; substitution with 50,000 IU oral cholecalciferol daily for 7 days increases vitamin D plasma levels rapidly, safely and consistently. Conclusions: The study confirms that the vast majority of patients with hip fracture are vitamin D deficient and require supplements. The current target for 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum concentration in secondary fracture prevention is 75 nmol/L. The current study also demonstrates that, in patients with a normal corrected calcium level (< 2.60 mmol/L),rapid high dose substitution with 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 can normalize circulating serum vitamin D levels quickly and safely.