Combined vitamin C and D deficiency lowered BMD and elevated osteoporosis risk: Study

A new study published in the BMC Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research observed that combined vitamin C and D deficiency dramatically reduced bone mineral density and osteoporosis risk were linked to combination deficits in vitamins C and D.

Osteoporosis has exponentially increased due to an increase in bone fragility and fracture susceptibility. Due to their effectiveness, antiresorptive medications such bisphosphonates have been the first-line of treatment. It has frequently been proposed that vitamin C mediates osteoclast differentiation in animal studies. A reduction in the quantity of osteoblasts and inhibition of osteoblast development were noted in mice lacking in vitamin C. Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked positively to reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased risk of fracture because of its function in calcium homeostasis. In clinical practice, vitamin D and C deficits are very frequent, particularly in the older population.

Also, there is a lack of awareness regarding the contribution of vitamin C insufficiency to the consequences of osteoporosis. Thus, Lei He and colleagues investigated if a combined vitamin D and C insufficiency would be related to osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) and bone mineral density.

The study included 99 postmenopausal female patients who were hospitalized to the spine surgery department of Sun Yat-sen University's third affiliated hospital. The subjects were separated into four groups namely, the comparison group, the group with just vitamin D insufficiency, the group with only vitamin C deficiency, and the experimental group with both vitamin C and D deficiency combined. Analysis was done on the OVF condition, BMD, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, and vitamin D levels.

The results found that vitamin D and C levels differed significantly amongst the groups. There were substantial changes in lumbar BMD between vitamin D deficit alone and combination vitamin D and C deficiency. Only combined vitamin D and C insufficiency showed a substantial deleterious impact on lumbar BMD and T-scores.

Similarly, vitamin C and D insufficiency expressed a substantial positive correlation with lumbar osteoporosis. None of the categories showed a significant connection with OVF. Vitamin C and D insufficiency were shown to be substantially linked with reduced lumbar bone mineral density and osteoporosis. Overall, a combined vitamin D and C deficiency raises the risk of osteoporosis and lowers bone mineral density.

Source:

He, L., chhantyal, K., Chen, Z., Zhu, R., & Zhang, L. (2024). The association of combined vitamin C and D deficiency with bone mineral density and vertebral fracture. In Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research (Vol. 19, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-024-04953-z