Smartest Doc
The Effect of Vitamin D Therapy on Bone Turnover Markers in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
Endocrine Practice, 05/12/2011
Tanzy ME et al. – The results of this study suggest that correction of vitamin D deficiency in osteopenia and osteoporosis patients can lead to a decrease in bone turnover as measured by bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and that the magnitude of this reduction is similar to that achieved with oral bisphosphonates.
Methods- Medical records of new osteopenia and osteoporosis patients from 2002 to 2009 at Loyola University Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed.
- A cohort of postmenopausal women with hip or spine T scores of less than –1, normal serum creatinine, and no prior vitamin D or bisphosphonate therapy was divided into vitamin D deficient (n=29) and sufficient (n=13) groups.
- Deficient patients received high dosage vitamin D while sufficient patients received oral bisphosphonates. BSAP levels at baseline and one year were compared.
- Vitamin D therapy in the deficient group led to a 26.7% decrease in BSAP (p=0.00).
- Bisphosphonate therapy in the sufficient group led to a 32.7% decrease in BSAP (p=0.01).
- The magnitude of BSAP change in the two groups (6.74±6.48 and 8.72±9.94 μg/liter) did not differ significantly (p=0.45).
