Relationship between serum vitamin D and hip fracture in the elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction This study investigated the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels and the occurrence of hip fractures in the elderly using a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Materials and methods PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were used to identify studies that outlined an association between serum 25OHD and the occurrence of a hip fracture in a geriatric patient. The analysis calculated odds ratios (OR) for a hip fracture using a random-effects model. Results In this study, 28 studies were included, 61,744 elderlies and 9767 cases (15.81%) of hip fractures. In the lowest vs. highest categories of vitamin D in the elderly, pooled OR of hip fractures was 1.80 (95% CI 1.56–2.07, P ≤ 0.001), and modified OR was equal to 1.40 (95% CI 1.20–1.63 P ≤ 0.001). A subgroup analysis showed that the OR of a hip fracture was 2.16 (1.49–3.11, P ≤ 0.001) in case–control studies; 1.52 (1.29–1.79, P = 0.001) in cohort studies; and 1.41 (1.18–1.70, P ≤ 0.001) in case–cohort studies. Conclusion Low serum vitamin D levels in the elderly are associated with an increase in the odds of hip fracture.