Do You Need to Take a Vitamin D Supplement?

Falls continue to be the leading cause of unintentional injury for adults 65 years of age and older, despite increased awareness and advances in preventive strategies. 

Each year, about one in four older adults report having a fall, and about 3 million emergency room visits and 1 million hospitalizations are fall related. Of even more concern is the death rate from fall-related injuries, which has increased a staggering 41% over the past ten years.

Clearly, falls represent a growing public health concern. As a result, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a non-government agency that regularly evaluates research on the effectiveness of preventive care services and issues recommendations based on their findings, has taken action. 

New findings

This past year, the USPSTF evaluated fall and fracture prevention strategies, the role vitamin D may play, and who should be screened for osteoporosis--a major risk factor for fracture. In this column, I'll focus on their vitamin D findings. 

The USPTSF's recent review revealed that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that taking vitamin D supplements prevents falls and fractures. Thus, they recommend that postmenopausal women and men over age 60 do not need to take vitamin D supplements for preventing falls and fractures. This may seem confusing, as taking vitamin D has been common practice for many older adults for the past decade or so. 

Before you make any changes, however, let's take a closer look. The USPTSF's recommendation specifically applies to generally healthy postmenopausal women and men over age 60. It does not apply to people who take vitamin D for medical reasons, such as osteoporosis or a vitamin D deficiency--both of which are very common. 

Talk to your doctor 

About 27% of women over age 65 have osteoporosis and the likelihood increases with age. About 40% of Americans overall have a vitamin D deficiency. Such individuals need to follow the treatment plan they've already discussed with their provider, which may very well include taking vitamin D supplements along with calcium. 

It's also important to note that your body needs vitamin D for much more than bone health. It also plays a vital role in supporting immunity, muscle function, and brain cell activity. 

While it is possible to get enough vitamin D from sunlight and foods, like fortified milk and cold-water fish such as salmon, please talk with your doctor about whether you should add a supplement to your routine and in what amount. 

Create a game plan

There is a lot you can do to prevent a fall. If you're looking to conduct some additional research, the National Institute on Aging has some great resources. Please take the time to review their recommendations with your physician and come up with a game plan to prevent future falls!

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