The patient's page.Bone Health Facts Bone and Muscle Aches and Vitamin D Deficiency Vitamin D Deficiency Definition Vitamin D deficiency exists when the concentration of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OH-D) in the blood serum occurs at 12 ng/ml (nanograms/milliliter), or less. * Although osteoporosis does not cause bone pain, bone which is poorly mineralized min·er·al·ize v. min·er·al·ized, min·er·al·iz·ing, min·er·al·iz·es v.tr. 1. To convert to a mineral substance; petrify. 2. To transform a metal into a mineral by oxidation. 3. (osteomalacia osteomalacia /os·teo·ma·la·cia/ (os?te-o-mah-la´shah) inadequate or delayed mineralization of osteoid in mature cortical and spongy bone; it is the adult equivalent of rickets and accompanies that disorder in children. ) can cause generalized aching in the bone, as well as muscle pain and weakness. * Recent studies have found that a large percentage of patients who presented with muscle aches and bone pain suffered from vitamin D deficiency. * Patients who suffer from nonspecific muscle aches and bone discomfort are often misdiagnosed as having fibromyalgia, myositis myositis Inflammation of muscle tissue, often from bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection but sometimes of unknown origin. Most types destroy muscle and surrounding tissue. Bacteria may directly infect muscle (usually after injury) or produce substances toxic to it. , or chronic fatigue syndrome chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), collection of persistent, debilitating symptoms, the most notable of which is severe, lasting fatigue. In other countries it is known variously as myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, and . * Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk for developing many cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, ovarian and esophageal, and may also contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes type 1 diabetes n. See diabetes mellitus. , hypertension, congestive heart failure congestive heart failure, inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time. , schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis. * A multivitamin containing 400 IU of vitamin D may not be adequate for all people. * Vitamin D deficiencies are becoming more common, due to the lack of vitamin D in the diet, increased use of sunscreen, and diminished outdoor activity. Over 90% of our vitamin D requirement comes from casual exposure to sunlight. * Wearing a sunscreen with an SPF (1) (Stateful Packet Firewall) See stateful inspection. (2) (Sender Policy Framework) An e-mail authentication system that verifies that the message came from an authorized mail server. of 8 reduces the ability of the skin to produce vitamin D by 95%. "Vitamin D: Important for Prevention of Osteoporosis, Cardiovascular Heart Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, Autoimmune Diseases, and Some Cancers." By Michael Holick, PhD, MD. Southern Medical Journal, October 2005 Osteoporosis Facts and Treatments * More than 1.5 million osteoporotic fractures occur annually in the United States. Although osteoporosis affects both men and women, women are particularly vulnerable to this crippling disease. A 50-year-old white female has a 40% risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture in her lifetime. * Although calcium and vitamin D supplementation alone do not reduce the risk of vertebral fractures in women with symptomatic osteoporosis, they complement the efficacy of other anti-fracture agents which are often prescribed. Postmenopausal women wishing to reduce their risk for osteoporosis should consume 1000 to 1200 mg of elemental calcium and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D daily. * Fosamax (alendronate alendronate /alen·dro·nate/ (ah-len´dro-nat) a bisphosphonate calcium-regulating agent used in the form of the sodium salt to inhibit the resorption of bone in the treatment of osteitis deformans, osteoporosis, and hypercalcemia related ), Actonel (risedronate) and Boniva (ibandronate) are approved for bot hthe prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis; however, whereas Fosamax and Actonel have been shown to reduce hip and vertebral fractures, Boniva has only been shown to reduce the risk of vertebral fractures. Additionally, potential gastrointestinal side effects require that the patient remain in an upright position and abstain from the consumption of any other food, drink or medication for 30 minutes following the administration of Actonel and Fosamax, and for 60 minutes after taking Boniva. * Miacalcin (salmon calcitonin calcitonin /cal·ci·to·nin/ (-to´nin) a polypeptide hormone secreted by C cells of the thyroid gland, and sometimes of the thymus and parathyroids, which lowers calcium and phosphate concentration in plasma and inhibits bone resorption. nasal spray) and Evista (raloxifene) offer protection against vertebral fractures, but not hip fractures. * Forteo (teriparatide) actually stimulates bone formation and significantly reduces vertebral and nonvertebral fracture risk. This medication is used in postmenopausal women who are at high risk for fracture; however, long-term use (greater than two years) is not currently encouraged. "Review of Treatment Modalities for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis." By Dr. Ronald Hamdy and colleagues. Southern Medical Journal, October 2005 Jennifer McKinney, MA |
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