To the Bone: Experts Discuss Developments in Osteoporosis Care

“Yet we’re using as a status measure, the total amount of vitamin D,” she said.

A better indicator, she noted, may be the vitamin D metabolite ratio—the ratio of 24,25 dihydroxyvitamin D to 25(OH)D3. It has been found to reflect vitamin D sufficiency independent of vitamin D binding protein.

Ms. Weaver also said that supplementation with vitamin D needs to be re-evaluated. In the Vitamin D and OmegA-3 Trial (VITAL) study of more than 25,000 older Americans (mean age=78 years) over an average of 5.3 years, researchers found that supplementation with vitamin D had no distinguishable difference in fracture advantage.⁸

“That’s the longest, biggest study we have,” Ms. Weaver said.

Thomas Collins is a freelance medical writer based in Florida.

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