disorders of nutrition
Vitamin D Deficiency
Spotlight on Aging: Vitamin D Deficiency
Older people are more likely to developvitamin Ddeficiency for several reasons: Their requirements are higher than those of younger people. They tend to spend less time outdoors and thus are not exposed to enough sunlight. They may not be exposed to enough sunlight because they are housebound, live in long-term care facilities, or need to stay in the hospital for a long time. When exposed to sunlight, their skin does not form as muchvitamin D. They may consume so littlevitamin Din their diet that even takingvitamin Dsupplements in low doses (such as 10 micrograms [400 units] per day) does not prevent the deficiency. They may have disorders or take drugs that interfere with the processing ofvitamin D. Older people should take 20 micrograms [800 units] ofvitamin Deach day to keep their bones healthy. Vitamin Dhas not been shown to prevent cancer or other disorders or to prevent falls in older people. Research to look for other benefits ofvitamin Dis ongoing. Older people who take high doses ofvitamin Dsupplements need to have periodic blood tests to check their levels of calcium,vitamin D, andparathyroid hormone. 