[Vitamin D levels among Chilean older subjects with low energy hip fracture]

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a common condition affecting 40-100% of geriatric population.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in geriatric population surgically treated for hip fracture.

Patients and methods: Analysis of a database of patients aged over 60 years operated for a low energy hip fracture in a three years period. Vitamin D was measured in identified patients, using a blood sample obtained on admission to the hospital. A logistic regression was carried out to evaluate age, gender, morbidity index and season as predictors of vitamin D deficiency.

Results: Two hundred and twenty-eight patients aged 84 ± 7 years (82% females), were included in the analysis. One hundred eighty-three patients (80%) presented vitamin D levels below 20 ng/dl (deficiency) and 39 patients (18%) presented with levels between 20 and 30 ng/dl (insufficiency), totaling 98% of patients with hypovitaminosis D. Vitamin D deficiency was especially common among patients with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System and during winter-spring period. A negative correlation between age and the proportion of subjects with vitamin D deficiency was found. There was no relation between gender and vitamin D levels.

Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is especially prevalent in older subjects with hip fracture, reaching 98% in the studied population.