Vitamin D In Older Women - Fractures, Frailty and Mortality

Vitamin D (25OHD) is essential for maintaining calcium homeostasis and inadequate levels have been associated with negative musculoskeletal as well as extraskeletal effects. Individuals at especially high risk of developing hypovitaminosis D are the elderly. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the association between 25OHD insufficiency (25OHD 75 nmol/L (75y: HR=1.4 [1.0-1.9], p=0.04 and 80y: HR=1.8, 95%CI=1.3-2.4, p50% was PTH elevated beyond the NRR. Here, a pronounced decline in kidney eGFR (56 vs 61 mL/min/1.73 m2, p=0.002) was found, despite no further decline in 25OHD. At age 85 years, half of the women had stable or decreased PTH levels (51%; n=169). PTH levels above NRR were not independently associated with mortality. At both ages 75 and 80, women with 25OHD <50 nmol/L were more frail compared to 25OHD sufficient women (0.23 vs 0.18; p<0.001 and 0.32 vs 0.25; p=0.001). Accelerated progression of frailty was not associated with lower 25OHD. Variables within the frailty-index that were associated with 25OHD, were those related to muscle strength and function. PTH was not independently associated with frailty In conclusion, 25OHD levels