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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392967
Research Project: Nutrient Metabolism and Musculoskeletal Health in Older Adults

Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging

Title: Intra-trial mean 25(OH)D and PTH levels and risk of falling in older men and women in the Boston STOP IT trial

Author
item DAWSON-HUGHES, BESS - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item WANG, JIFAN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item BARGER, KATHRYN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item BISCHOFF-FERRARI, HEIKE - University Of Zurich
item SEMPOS, CHRISTOPHER T - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States
item DURAZO-ARVIZU, RAMON - Children'S Hospital Los Angeles
item CEGLIA, LISA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2022
Publication Date: 1/12/2022
Citation: Dawson-Hughes, B., Wang, J., Barger, K., Bischoff-Ferrari, H.A., Sempos, C.T., Durazo-Arvizu, R.A., Ceglia, L. 2022. Intra-trial mean 25(OH)D and PTH levels and risk of falling in older men and women in the Boston STOP IT trial. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac012.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac012

Interpretive Summary: Currently there is no consensus on the range of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels [25(OH)D] at which fall risk is minimal in older adults. We analyzed data from our large calcium and vitamin D intervention trial conducted in men and women age 65 and older. Both low and high 25(OH)D were associated with more falls and the optimal range for minimal risk of falling was 20 to 40 ng/ml. This work was led by ARS-funded researchers in Boston, MA with input from outside collaborators. The optimal range of 25(OH)D for reducing fall risk is similar to the range recommended for bone health.

Technical Abstract: Context Supplementation with vitamin D has the potential to both reduce and increase risk of falling, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) may contribute to fall risk. Objective To assess the associations of intra-trial mean circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and PTH on incident falls in healthy older adults. Design Observational within a clinical trial. Setting The Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts University. Participants 410 men and women age >=65 years who participated in the 3-year Boston STOP IT trial to determine the effect of supplementation with 700 IU of vitamin D3 plus calcium on incident falls (secondary endpoint). Intra-trial exposures of 25(OH)D and PTH were calculated as the mean of biannual measures up to and including the first fall. Main outcome measures Incidence of first fall. Results Intra-trial mean 25(OH)D was significantly associated with risk of falling in a U-shaped pattern; the range associated with minimal risk of falling was approximately 20 to 40 ng/mL. PTH was not significantly associated with risk of falling. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of maintaining the circulating 25(OH)D level between 20 and 40 ng/mL, the range that is also recommended for bone health. At PTH levels within the normal range, there was no detectible independent association of PTH with fall risk.