Maintaining proper levels of Vitamin D is especially important for women in the middle part of their life, regardless of race. Vitamin D deficiencies can lead to fracture risk or Osteomalacia as well as potentially others.

Vitamin D in Women

Tracking long term levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in women during their mid-life (25 – 60) has helped physicians discover that there is a high rate of increased levels of Vitamin D in women who take supplements. This fact has been confirmed by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research during their 2014 annual meeting.

The Society conducted research over an ethnically diverse group of women who were all in their mid-life stage over 11 years. The research was based on tracking levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D based on the average 25-(OH) D levels. Over the 11 years of study, it was found that average levels increased by 6.5 ng/mL which means that there was a substantial decline in deficiency of Vitamin D across all ethnicities.

The 25 (OH) D changes were scrutinized through 1,582 participating women by Massachusetts General Hospital’s team of researchers, led by Deborah Mitchell (MD). At the outset of the study the women’s baseline measured between 1998 and 2000 (for ages 48 +/- 3 years) while follow up on the women 11 years later showed between 2009 and 2011 (by this time the women were aged 60 +/- 3 years).

Measurements were obtained through the application of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in a single batch allowing for adjustments based on age, menopausal status, season of blood draw and study site. By the time the study finished the average 25-(OH)D levels increased from 21.5 ± 9.8 ng/mL to 28 ± 11.5 ng/mL (P<.001). Mean levels vary by ethnicity but studies determined the increase was consistent among all ethnic groups. Extrinsic factors such as socioeconomic status, acculturation or education level did not have any affect over the levels.

By ethnicity, average levels are:

• 25.4 ng/mL Caucasian
• 14 ng/mL African American
• 18.3 ng/mL Chinese
• 24 ng/mL Hispanic
• 24 ng/mL Japanese

It was clear that results proved better in the percent of the group that had used supplements over the 11 year period, with 49% of women in this group recording higher increases than the group that did not take supplements. Within the group that took supplements, the proportion who reported Vitamin D deficiency decreased from 35% to 6%. This can be compared to the results of the non-supplement taking section of the group reporting a decrease from 51% to 39%. Overall, the average decrease of Vitamin D deficiency over the 11 year period decreased from 43% to 24%.