Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The relationship between serum 25(OH)D and bone density and microarchitecture as measured by HR-pQCT

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Osteoporosis International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Summary

The relation between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] and bone quality is not well understood, particularly for high levels. We measured bone microarchitecture in three groups of people stratified by their serum 25(OH)D. There was a weak association of serum 25(OH)D and microarchitecture for this cross-sectional population, suggesting possible benefits to bone quality.

Introduction

Vitamin D plays an important role in bone and mineral metabolism, but the relation between serum 25(OH)D and bone quality is not well understood. Here, we present a cross-sectional study that investigated a convenience group of participants from an ongoing health initiative in Alberta, Canada, who have been receiving daily vitamin D supplementation.

Methods

A total of 105 participants were organized into three groups based on their serum 25(OH)D levels: low (<75 nmol/L), medium (75–175 nmol/L), and high (>175 nmol/L). They were also assessed with 25(OH)D as a continuous variable. Average daily supplementation was 7670 ± 438 IU, and the change in 25(OH)D ranged from 22 to 33 % during the period of receiving supplements. We used high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography measurements at the radius and tibia to assess bone microarchitecture.

Results

Microarchitectural parameters were not strongly associated with serum 25(OH)D. In the tibia, there were fewer trabeculae (TbN; p = 0.015) and a non-significant trend toward thicker trabeculae (p = 0.067) of the high group. Body mass index (BMI) was negatively associated with serum 25(OH)D levels (p < 0.001) and PTH levels (p < 0.001). There was no clinically significant relationship detected between high serum 25(OH)D and high serum calcium.

Conclusion

These data suggest a weak relationship between serum 25(OH)D and bone microarchitecture in this population of mostly vitamin-D-sufficient participants, and there were no indications of negative effects related to the high supplementation levels. These data provided a basis to design and implement our 3-year dose-dependent randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone health outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Institute of Medicine (2011) Dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ross AC, Manson JE, Abrams SA, Aloia JF, Brannon PM, Clinton SK, Durazo-Arvizu RA, Gallagher JC, Gallo RL, Jones G, Kovacs CS, Mayne ST, Rosen CJ, Shapses SA (2011) The 2011 report on dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D from the Institute of Medicine: what clinicians need to know. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 96:53–58

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Hanley DA, Cranney A, Jones G, Whiting SJ, Leslie WD (2010) Vitamin D in adult health and disease: a review and guideline statement from Osteoporosis Canada (summary). CMAJ 182:1315–1319

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Reid IR, Bolland MJ, Grey A (2013) Effects of vitamin D supplements on bone mineral density: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet

  5. Rosen CJ (2013) Vitamin D supplementation: bones of contention. Lancet

  6. Grimnes G, Joakimsen R, Figenschau Y, Torjesen PA, Almas B, Jorde R (2012) The effect of high-dose vitamin D on bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women with low bone mass—a randomized controlled 1-year trial. Osteoporos Int 23:201–211

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hathcock JN, Shao A, Vieth R, Heaney R (2007) Risk assessment for vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr 85:6–18

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Luxwolda MF, Kuipers RS, Kema IP, Dijck-Brouwer DA, Muskiet FA (2012) Traditionally living populations in East Africa have a mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of 115 nmol/l. Br J Nutr 108:1557–1561

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Boutroy S, Bouxsein ML, Munoz F, Delmas PD (2005) In vivo assessment of trabecular bone microarchitecture by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90:6508–6515

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Macdonald HM, Nishiyama KK, Kang J, Hanley DA, Boyd SK (2011) Age-related patterns of trabecular and cortical bone loss differ between sexes and skeletal sites: a population-based HR-pQCT study. J Bone Miner Res 26:50–62

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Buie HR, Campbell GM, Klinck RJ, MacNeil JA, Boyd SK (2007) Automatic segmentation based on a dual threshold technique for in vivo micro-CT bone analysis. Bone 41:505–515

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Burghardt AJ, Buie HR, Laib A, Majumdar S, Boyd SK (2010) Reproducibility of direct quantitative measures of cortical bone microarchitecture of the distal radius and tibia by HR-pQCT. Bone 47:519–528

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. MacNeil JA, Boyd SK (2007) Accuracy of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography for measurement of bone quality. Med Eng Phys 29:1096–1105

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Pure North S’Energy Foundation (Calgary, Alberta). Technical support was provided by Ken Fyie, Michelle Kan, and John Schipilow.

Conflicts of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada

    S. K. Boyd, L. A. Burt, L. K. Sevick & D. A. Hanley

  2. Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    S. K. Boyd

Authors
  1. S. K. Boyd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. A. Burt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. K. Sevick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. A. Hanley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. K. Boyd.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Boyd, S.K., Burt, L.A., Sevick, L.K. et al. The relationship between serum 25(OH)D and bone density and microarchitecture as measured by HR-pQCT. Osteoporos Int 26, 2375–2380 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3110-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3110-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation