Highland Hospital Articles

Vitamin D – Are You Getting Enough?

Everyone needs Vitamin D, and Daniel Mendelson, M.D., is on a mission to make sure his patients get what they need. He’s one of the geriatricians who practices at Highland Hospital, and he wants everyone – especially older adults – to know about this essential vitamin and what it does.

Here’s what he has to say about its benefits:

  • “Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which enables us to form and maintain strong bones.

  • Recent research suggests Vitamin D may have other benefits, such as protecting against osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer and several autoimmune diseases.

  • It is also found to decrease falls, improve muscle tone and reduce chronic pain in the elderly."

Unfortunately, Vitamin D deficiency is very common in this country, particularly in regions like ours that aren’t famous for year-round sunshine. (Exposure to ultraviolet rays helps the body use Vitamin D.) A shortage of Vitamin D has major implications for a person’s bone strength and overall health, but no obvious symptoms. “Often, an older person’s first symptom of this deficiency is a bone fracture,” Dr. Mendelson says.

Dr. Mendelson and orthopaedic surgeon Stephen Kates, M.D., co-founded the Geriatric Fracture Center at Highland, which specializes in rapidly and effectively treating older adults’ hip fractures to help ensure the best outcomes. Virtually every patient they treat for geriatric fracture is found to have a Vitamin D deficiency. That’s why they routinely order a Vitamin D check and treatment of deficiency for their patients.

While Vitamin D deficiency is common, it’s easily corrected. Fortunately, says Dr. Mendelson, “There are no side effects to treatment, Vitamin D supplements are very well tolerated by patients and very inexpensive.”

If you’re wondering about your Vitamin D level, ask your physician if you would benefit from a simple blood test to check it.