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Vitamin D is Easy Way to Help Maintain Health After menopause

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, February 13, 2012, abstracted from “EMAS position statement: Vitamin D and postmenopausal health” in the January 2012 issue of Maturitas

The onset of menopause comes with a number of health challenges for women. These include increased risks for osteoporosis (affecting 44 million Americans at a cost of $19 billion per year (1)), breast cancer (a significant contributor to cancer $219 billion each year (2)), colorectal cancer (2^nd-leading cancer cause of death (3)), and cardiovascular disease ($503 billion cost in 2010 (4)).

Fortunately, a new study (5) has shown that having adequate blood levels of vitamin D can help with many of these health challenges. The current recommendations by the National Institute of Health is to have vitamin D blood levels above 50 nanomoles/milliter (20 nanograms/Liter) and for women older than 51 years of age to take between 600 and 800 IU per day of vitamin D (6).

Vitamin D’s health benefits in postmenopausal women include:

Increased bone strength and reduced risk for falls -- A 2009 study in patients with an average age of 65 years or older receiving 700-1000 IU/day of vitamin D had a 19% reduction in the risk of falls. When vitamin D blood levels reached at least 60 nmol/L (24 ng/mL) there was a 23% reduced risk of falling (7).

Reduced breast and colorectal cancer risks -- Following up on research showing vitamin D’s anti-cancer properties (8,9), a 2011 study showed that every 10 ng/mL (25 nmol/L) increase vitamin D blood levels significantly lowered the risk for colorectal and breast cancer (10). These results led the researchers to comment that “it seems [vitamin D blood levels] display a consistent inverse relationship with [breast and colorectal] cancer.”

Reduced cardiovascular disease risk - Another 2011 study showed every 16 ng/mL (40 nmol/L) increase in serum 25(OH)D levels was “significantly associated with reduced blood pressure levels” (11).

Physical Activity -- A 2011 study showed “a considerable” benefit of vitamin D supplementation in…hip muscle strength in subjects with [vitamin D blood levels] <25 nmol/L (10 ng/mL) (12), leading the researchers to comment that “vitamin D may be involved in maintaining muscle strength.”

Fortunately, the researchers’ recommendations to get enough vitamin D are relatively simple, “In healthy postmenopausal women, adequate [blood levels] can be achieved through sun exposure (15 minutes per day, 3–4 times a week) or vitamin D supplementation with 800–1000 IU/day.” For women with low vitamin D blood levels, the supplemented doses should range from 4000 to 10,000 IU/day “to achieve adequate levels.”

For women with morbid obesity (pre and post gastrointestinal bypass surgery), problems with absorption or liver or kidney problems, the researchers recommend “specific tailored doses of vitamin D supplements.” Finally, women with vitamin D deficiency related to osteoporosis “should receive adequate amounts of vitamin D (800–1200 IU/day if there are no associated risk factors for low serum vitamin D levels).”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

Reference:

1. “Osteoporosis Basics” - http://www.nof.org/aboutosteoporosis/bonebasics/whybonehealth

2. “Costs of Cancer” posted on www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/content/MIT_3_2X_Costs_of_Cancer.asp

3. “Colorectal Cancer Fact Sheet” posted on the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition Website www.fdhn.org/html/education/colorectal/facts.html

4. “Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention” - http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/dhdsp.htm

5. D. EMAS position statement: Vitamin D and postmenopausal health. Maturitas 2012; 71(1): 83-88

6. “Vitamin D” - http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

7. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Dawson-Hughes B, Staehelin HB, et al. Fall prevention with supplemental and active forms of vitamin D: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMJ 2009;339:b3692

8. Trump DL, Deeb KK, Johnson CS. Vitamin D: considerations in the continued development as an agent for cancer prevention and therapy. Cancer J 2010;16:1–9.

9. Stambolsky P, Tabach Y, Fontemaggi G, et al. Modulation of the vitamin D3 response by cancer-associated mutant p53. Cancer Cell 2010;17:273–85.

10. Gandini S, Boniol M, Haukka J, et al. Meta-analysis of observational studies of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and colorectal, breast and prostate cancer and colorectal adenoma. Int J Cancer 2011;128:1414–24.

11. Burgaz A, Orsini N, Larsson SC, Wolk A. Blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and hypertension: a meta-analysis. J Hypertens 2011;29:636–45.

12. Stockton KA, Mengersen K, Paratz JD, Kandiah D, Bennell KL. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoporos Int 2011;22:859–71.