Hypovitaminosis D and prevalent asymptomatic vertebral fractures in Moroccan postmenopausal women

To determine serum vitamin D status and to assess the association of vitamin D status with bone mineral density (BMD) and asymptomatic VFs prevalence using vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) in a cohort of Moroccan menopausal women.from June to September 2010, 178 menopausal women 50？years old and over were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The mean？±？SD (range) age, weight, height and BMI were 58.8？±？8.2 (50 to 79) years, 73.2？±？13.8 (35 to 119) Kgs, 1.56？±？0.06 (1.43 – 1.79) m and 29.8？±？5.9 (17.5 – 49.8) kg/m2, respectively. VFA images and scans of the lumbar spine and proximal femur were obtained using a GE Healthcare Lunar Prodigy densitometer. VFs were defined using a combination of Genant semiquantitative approach and morphometry. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured.Among the 178 women, 45 (25.2%) had densitometric osteoporosis, and on VFA, VFs (grade 2 or 3) were detected in 20.2% while grade 1 were identified in 33.1%. The mean values of serum levels of 25(OH)D were 15.8？±？11.6？ng/ml (range: 3.0 – 49.1) with 152 patients (85.3%) having levels <30？ng/ml (insufficiency) and 92 (51.6%) <10？ng/ml (deficiency). Stepwise regression analysis showed that presence of VFs was independently related to age, 25(OH)D and densitometric osteoporosis.our study shows that advanced age, hypovitaminosis D and osteoporosis are independent risk factors for asymptomatic VFs in Moroccan postmenopausal women.Osteoporosis and low-trauma fractures in elderly people are a substantial and increasing burden of ill health worldwide and the rates of hip and other fractures are rapidly increasing in developing countries [1]. Vitamin D status has for long been recognized as an important factor for bone health and its contribution to fracture risk has recently received increased attention. It is demonstrated that hypovitaminosis D is associated to accentuated bone loss, leading to an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures. Moreover, new data suggest that its