VANCOUVER -- When it comes to osteoporosis, most people know about the importance of getting enough calcium in your diet, but they often forget about an important factor: Vitamin D. It's essential to calcium absorption. Now there's a new innovation in medication to help make it easier for some patients.
Shirley McIntyre is an osteoporosis patient. She takes multipremium, calicium and also plain vitamin D. Ever since she found out she had osteoporosis, Shirley McIntyre has been extra diligent about her health.
Part of her management plan includes taking bone maintenance medication and getting enough calcium and vitamin D in her diet. But even she admits it's hard to do on a daily basis.
Shirley McIntyre says, "it's that much more to remember and that much more to do. And then, if you leave the bottle at home when you go away somewhere, you have to run around and find some vitamin D when you're out of town."
ALTHOUGH SHIRLEY GETS ENOUGH VITAMIN D, THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WHO DON'T. A RECENT STUDY FOUND 60 PERCENT OF CANADIANS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS HAVE INADEQUATE VITAMIN D LEVELS AND 97 PERCENT OF PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED FOR FRACTURES FROM MINOR FALLS HAD VITAMIN D INADEQUACIES. THE FINDINGS AREN'T SURPRISING TO THOSE IN THE KNOW.
Debbie Reid, Dietician at BC Children's and Women's Hospital, says, "you have to realize some of these people are on multiple medications for other things as well. They may be on cholesterol-lowering medication or anti-hypertensive. I do find if it's one more thing for people to take, it's one more thing for them to forget."
People over the age of 50 and those with low bone density should get 800 IU's of vitamin D per day, but that's hard to do with diet alone.
Debbie Reid comments, "you'd be looking at 8 of these cartons of milk or other fortified beverages to get 800 IU's."
Now there's a new option, a once a week osteoporosis medication that includes Vitamin D.
"The Fosavance has 2800 IU of Vitamin D added to it, so if you divide by 7, it's equivilent at taking 400 vitamin D a day."
So a person would only have to make up the other half of their vitamin D requirement. For Shirley, it's something she's willing to give a try, especially since she's already on Fosamax, the medication in this new treatment option.
If you're wondering about the sun, experts say don't count on it for your vitamin D requirement. From October till the end of March, we don't get enough sunlight and our ability to manufacture Vitamin D in our skin decreases with age. Other than milk and soy and rice beverages, margarine is fortified with vitamin D. Fish is a natural source, but many of us don't eat it on a daily basis.
Tuesday April 4, 2006
