Health
Women's association calls for higher recommended vitamin D intake
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 5, 2005
The American Medical Women's Assn. issued recommendations Nov. 17 calling for an increase in the recommended vitamin D intake for men and women to 800 IU to 1,000 IU daily. Current recommendations are 400 IU for men and women ages 51 to 70 and 600 IU for men and women older than 70.
A panel convened by the group also recommended that treatment for optimum bone health be individualized among patients to include a combination of exercise; healthy diet; vitamin D and calcium supplements, and, potentially, prescription medications.
"The recommendations we provided are designed as a guide for primary care physicians and specialists and are sufficient for most patients," said Kimberly Templeton, MD, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Kansas University Medical Center. "However, some patients may need to obtain serum levels of vitamin D, as determined by their physicians, to ascertain vitamin D adequacy."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/12/05/hlbf1205.htm.
