Role of vitamin D in postmenopausal bone health [Vitamin D und postmenopausale Knochengesundheit]

Fractures contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality of postmenopausal women. Among postmenopausal women aged 60 years and older, the mortality-adjusted residual lifetime risk of fracture has been estimated to be 44–65 %. Thus, effective strategies are urgently needed to prevent fractures among postmenopausal women. This review summarizes the available evidence that supports vitamin D3 supplementation at a dose of 800 IU per day as a strategy to reduce falls and fractures, including hip fractures, among postmenopausal women by about 20–30 %. This recommendation is supported by the Position Statement on Vitamin D of the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the 2011 World Osteoporosis Day Report, and the US Endocrine Society. Further, this recommendation is supported by the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among postmenopausal women. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (serum levels below 50 nmol/l or 20 ng/ml) among younger and older postmenopausal women has been found to be about 50 % in many countries around the world, with the highest prevalence (80 %) in older women with hip fractures. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.