Role of vitamin D in controlling Postmenopausal Osteoporosis - Abstract
Vitamin D plays an important role in bone growth and maintenance by enhancing intestinal absorption of calcium and influencing bone metabolism in women and improves biochemical markers for Osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency in adults can exacerbate osteopenia and osteoporosis, cause osteomalacia and muscle weakness, and increase the risk of fracture. Osteoporosis is a disorder having characteristic features of low bone mass and structural degeneration, promoting the development of brittleness of the bones and increasing the risk of fractures of the bones of pelvis, vertebral column and wrist. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women worldwide - approximately one-tenth of women aged 60, one-fifth of women aged 70, two-fifths of women aged 80 and two-third of women aged 90. Since bone loss occurs without symptoms, osteoporosis is often considered a ‘silent disease’. Menopausal is commonly defined by the state of the uterus and the absence of menstrual flow or “periods,” but it can instead be more accurately defined as the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the ovaries. A drop in estrogens production after menopause results in increased bone reasorption, leads tothe risk of osteoporosis during menopause and decreased calcium absorption Postmenopausal women have a higher risk of falling or fracture when they do not maintain serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels higher than 30 ng/mL.