Vitamin D increases chance of walking in elderly people after hip fracture: Study

A recent study revealed that elderly people who are not vitamin D deficient have high chances of walking after hip fracture surgery. As per the reports, the recent study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Sue Shapses, a senior author and professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University said that the study suggests that Vitamin D deficiency could limit mobility in older adults. 

According to the study, researchers said that older adults take 800 international units (IU), which is equivalent to 20 micrograms, of Vitamin D to prevent deficiency. Vitamin D is important for bone health and can be acquired through some foods, exposure to the sun and vitamin pills. 

READ: Sources Of Vitamin D In Different Food Items That Even Vegetarians Can Consume!

US CDC report

Shapses reportedly said that it is an important step to learn how Vitamin D affects mobility. He added that it is still unclear if severe Vitamin D deficiency is associated with direct effects on muscle, cognition or other organ systems. According to the researchers, a broken hip is a serious injury and difficult to recover.

The study further suggests that the US has more than 300, 000 people who are 65 years of age or older and are hospitalised for hip fractures annually. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women fall more frequently than men, experiencing three-quarters of hip fractures and the number of fractures is likely to increase as the population ages. 

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Importance of Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is very important for strong and robust bones as it is the only nutrient produced by a human body after being exposed to the sun. But, to obtain Vitamin D one must stay in the sun before 10 am. However, if the deficiency happens, one can compensate for the loss of Vitamin D by consuming certain food items. 

(Image Credits: ANI)

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