Who Are We?

Read about our Executive Director Dr. John Cannell.

Vitamin D Products

(off-site)

These companies donate to the Vitamin D Council.

D-Lite, Renew, & SunSplash UV/Tanning Systems
In-Home ZRT Vitamin D Blood Test Kit
Premium Quality Vitamin D Supplements at Great Prices
Vitamin D3 Plus™ from Bio-Tech — contains the cofactors Vitamin D needs to work properly.

Donate via PayPal

(no PayPal account required!)

Your tax-deductable gift will help us to be more effective in our mission to end the worldwide epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.

Read about the Vitamin D Council.

Vitamin D On The Web

See our Vitamin D News page for all the latest vitamin D headlines from around the globe.

Our Best Vitamin D Articles page for links to informative, less-mainstream articles on vitamin D and UV exposure.

Vitamin D Research

back to research menu

Muscular Weakness and Falls

Vitamin D: the other steroid hormone for muscle function and strength. Menopause. 2009 Nov–Dec;16(6):1077–8.
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is related to indicators of overall physical fitness in healthy postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2009 Nov–Dec;16(6):1093–101.
Vitamin D, nervous system and aging. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Aug 4.
Nerve, muscle or bone disease? Look before you leap. Singapore Med J. 2009 Aug;50(8):e293–4.
Association between vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms, falls, balance and muscle power: results from two independent studies (APOSS and OPUS). Osteoporos Int. 2009 Jul 24.
Osteomalacia with Bone Marrow Fibrosis Due to Severe Vitamin D Depletion Following Gastrointestinal Bypass Surgery for Severe Obesity. Endocr Pract. 2009 Jun 2:1–16.
Falls in the nursing home: a collaborative approach. Nurs Clin North Am. 2009 Jun;44(2):187–95.
Osteoporosis in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2009 Jun;15(5):339–46.
Medication interventions for fall prevention in the older adult. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2009 May–Jun;49(3):e70–82; quiz e83–4.
Severe proximal myopathy with remarkable recovery after vitamin D treatment. Can J Neurol Sci. 2009 May;36(3):336–9.
Osteomalacia presenting as pain syndromes of uncertain etiology. S D Med. 2009 May;62(5):197, 199, 201.
Vitamin D and in-patient falls. Age Ageing. 2009 May;38(3):339–40.
Vitamin d. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2009 May;41(5):982–5.
Recurrent and injurious falls in the year following hip fracture: a prospective study of incidence and risk factors from the Sarcopenia and Hip Fracture study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009 May;64(5):599–609.
Vitamin D and calcium for the treatment of osteoporosis. Nippon Rinsho. 2009 May;67(5):967–74.
Sex-specific association of serum vitamin D levels with physical function in older adults. Osteoporos Int. 2009 May;20(5):751–60.
Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Apr 15;(2):CD007146.
Interventions for preventing falls in elderly people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Apr 15;(2):CD000340. Review.
Vitamin D beyond bones in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: time to act. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 Apr 15;179(8):630–6. Review.
Myalgia and proximal muscle weakness in a young patient. Praxis (Bern 1994). 2009 Apr 15;98(8):447–50.
Multivitamin supplementation improves nutritional status and bone quality in aged care residents. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;63(4):558–65.
Vestibular dysfunction in vitamin D receptor mutant mice. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2009 Apr;114(3–5):161–6.
Final Declaration of the Asian Metaforum on the Role of Vitamin D and the Management of Osteoporosis. Public Health Nutr. 2009 Apr;12(4):578–80. Review.
Management of osteoporosis among home health and long-term care patients with a prior fracture. South Med J. 2009 Apr;102(4):397–404. Review.
Vitamin D insufficiency and musculoskeletal symptoms in breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitor therapy. Cancer Nurs. 2009 Mar–Apr;32(2):143–50.
Vitamin D status and falls, frailty, and fractures among postmenopausal Japanese women living in Hawaii. Osteoporos Int. 2009 Mar 24.
The efficacy and safety of calcitriol and/or Caltrate D in elderly Chinese women with low bone mass. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2009 Mar;30(3):372–8.
Dietary reference intakes for vitamin D: justification for a review of the 1997 values. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Mar;89(3):719–27.
Prevention and treatment of senile osteoporosis and hip fractures. Minerva Med. 2009 Feb;100(1):79–94.
Effects of a long-term vitamin D and calcium supplementation on falls and parameters of muscle function in community-dwelling older individuals. Osteoporos Int. 2009 Feb;20(2):315–22.
Vitamin D status and muscle function in post-menarchal adolescent girls. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Feb;94(2):559–63.
Potential of alfacalcidol for reducing increased risk of falls and fractures. Rheumatol Int. 2009 Jan 22.
Effects of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms on low-resistance training using exercise machines: The 'Power Rehabilitation' program. Int J Mol Med. 2009 Jan;23(1):81–8.
Vitamin D: skeletal and extra skeletal effects; recommendations for good practice. Presse Med. 2009 Jan;38(1):43–54. Review.
Vitamin D supplement intake in elderly fallers. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Jan;57(1):176–7.
Evaluation of the association between impaired renal function and physical function among community-dwelling Japanese frail elderly based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Nippon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi. 2009 Jan;46(1):63–70.
Nutritional status in relation to balance and falls in the elderly: a preliminary look at serum folate. Ann Nutr Metab. 2009;54(1):59–66.
Association Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Primary Cesarean Section. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Dec 23.
Closing the Gap: Bone Health Education in Orthopaedic Practice. Orthop Nurs. 2008 Nov–Dec;27(6):340–6; quiz 347–8.
Fall prevention: differences between native vitamin D, alfacalcidol and D-hormone. MMW Fortschr Med. 2008 Nov 20;150(47):44.
Treatment and intervention for sustaining functional activities in community-dwelling elderly people. Clin Calcium. 2008 Nov;18(11):1622–6.
Prevention of falls. Clin Calcium. 2008 Nov;18(11):1600–9. Review.
Risk factors of musculoskeletal ambulation disability symptom complex (MADS). - Frequent falls and sarcopenia according to aging -. Clin Calcium. 2008 Nov;18(11):1581–7.
Musculoskeletal Ambulation Disability Symptom Complex (MADS). Falls prevention. Clin Calcium. 2008 Nov;18(11):1600–9.
Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Vitamin D Inadequacy among Patients with Chronic Pain. Pain Med. 2008 Nov;9(8):979–84.
Vitamin D-deficiency and post-fracture changes in lower extremity function and falls in women with hip fractures. Osteoporos Int. 2008 Sep;19(9):1283–90.
Additive benefit of higher testosterone levels and vitamin D plus calcium supplementation in regard to fall risk reduction among older men and women. Osteoporos Int. 2008 Sep;19(9):1307–14.
African Americans, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and osteoporosis: a paradox. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Aug;88(2):545S–550S. Review.
Summary of evidence-based review on vitamin D efficacy and safety in relation to bone health. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Aug;88(2):513S–519S. Review.
Protein-containing nutrient supplementation following strength training enhances the effect on muscle mass, strength, and bone formation in postmenopausal women. J Appl Physiol. 2008 Jul;105(1):274–81.
Vitamin D and living in northern latitudes—an endemic risk area for vitamin D deficiency. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2008 Jun;67(2–3):164–78. Review.
Dietary manipulation in musculoskeletal conditions. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2008 Jun;22(3):535–61. Review.
3-year follow-up of 215 fracture patients from a prospective and consecutive osteoporosis screening program. Fracture patients care! Acta Orthop. 2008 Jun;79(3):404–9.
Long-term outcome after parathyroidectomy in patients with advanced primary hyperparathyroidism and associated vitamin D deficiency. World J Surg. 2008 May;32(5):829–35.
Seemingly paradoxical seasonal influences on vitamin D status in nursing-home elderly people from a Mediterranean area. Nutrition. 2008 May;24(5):414—20.
New insights into the role of vitamin D and calcium in osteoporosis management: an expert roundtable discussion. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 May;24(5):1363–70. Review.
Osteoporosis and its implications for dental patients. J Am Dent Assoc. 2008 May;139(5):545–52; quiz 625–6. Review.
Vitamin D and its implications for musculoskeletal health in women: An update. Maturitas. 2007 Oct 20;58(2):117–37. Review.
Vitamin D and muscle strength in patients with previous fractures. N Z Med J. 2007 Sep 21;120(1262):U2730.
Does vitamin D stop inpatients falling? A randomised controlled trial. Age Ageing. 2007 Sep;36(5):507–13.
Effectiveness and safety of vitamin D in relation to bone health. Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep). 2007 Aug;(158):1–235. Review.
Expanding role for vitamin D in chronic kidney disease: importance of blood 25-OH-D levels and extra-renal 1alpha-hydroxylase in the classical and nonclassical actions of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3). Semin Dial. 2007 Jul;20(4):316–324.
Vitamin d and rehabilitation: improving functional outcomes. Nutr Clin Pract. 2007 Jun;22(3):297–304. Review.
Falls in older adults: risk assessment, management and prevention. Am J Med. 2007 Jun;120(6):493.e1–6.
Vitamin D status predicts physical performance and its decline in older persons. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jun;92(6):2058–65.
Association between vitamin D status and physical performance: the InCHIANTI study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2007 Apr;62(4):440–6.
The effect of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) on the risk of fall and fracture: a meta-analysis. QJM. 2007 Apr;100(4):185–92. Review.
Vitamin D supplementation and the prevention of fractures and falls. Age Ageing. 2007 Mar;36(2):232–3; author reply 233.
A higher dose of vitamin d reduces the risk of falls in nursing home residents: a randomized, multiple-dose study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007 Feb;55(2):234–9.
Falls—where do we stand? Mo Med. 2007 Jan–Feb;104(1):63–7. Review.
Favourable and unfavourable effects of exposure to sunlight. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007 Jan 13;151(2):118–22. Review In Dutch.
Osteomalacia and secondary hyperparathyroidism after kidney transplantation: Relationship to vitamin D deficiency. Am J Med Sci. 2007 Jan;333(1):58–62.
An age-related decrease in creatinine clearance is associated with an increase in number of falls in untreated women but not in women receiving calcitriol treatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jan;92(1):51–8.
Optimal vitamin D status for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Drugs Aging. 2007;24(12):1017–29. Review.
Concomitant lower serum albumin and vitamin D levels are associated with decreased objective physical performance among Japanese community-dwelling elderly. Gerontology. 2007;53(5):322–8.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with low mood and worse cognitive performance in older adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;14(12):1032–40.
Relationship between 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol levels and functional outcome after hip fracture in elderly patients. Joint Bone Spine. 2006 Dec;73(6):729–32.
Epidemiology of disease risks in relation to vitamin D insufficiency. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2006 Sep;92(1):65–79. Review.
The role of vitamin D for bone health and fracture prevention. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2006 Sep;4(3):96–102. Review.
Vitamin D Status in Relation to One-Year Risk of Recurrent Falling in Older Men and Women The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 91, No. 8 2980–2985. Aug 2006.
Knee pain, knee osteoarthritis, and the risk of fracture. Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Aug 15;55(4):610–5.
Osteoporotic fractures and vitamin D deficiency. Aust Fam Physician. 2006 Jul;35(7):519–20, 522.
Alendronate and vitamin D2 for prevention of hip fracture in Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial. Mov Disord. 2006 Jul;21(7):924–9.
Addressing the musculoskeletal components of fracture risk with calcium and vitamin D: a review of the evidence. Calcif Tissue Int. 2006 May;78(5):257–70. Review.
Effect of vitamin D replacement on musculoskeletal parameters in school children: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Feb;91(2):405–12.
Should older people in residential care receive vitamin D to prevent falls? Results of a randomized trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Nov;53(11):1881–8.
Vitamin D inadequacy among post-menopausal women: a systematic review. QJM. 2005 Sep;98(9):667–76. Review.
The therapeutic effects of alfacalcidol on bone strength, muscle metabolism and prevention of falls and fractures. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2005 Jul–Sep;5(3):273–84. Review.
Vitamin D for health and in chronic kidney disease. Semin Dial. 2005 Jul–Aug;18(4):266–75. Review.
Benefits and requirements of vitamin D for optimal health: a review. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Jun;10(2):94–111. Review.
Randomised controlled trial of calcium and supplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) for prevention of fractures in primary care. BMJ 2005;330:1003 (30 April).
Vitamin D and calcium supplementation prevents severe falls in elderly community-dwelling women: a pragmatic population-based 3-year intervention study. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2005 Apr;17(2):125–32.
Vitamin D and the elderly. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2005 Mar;62(3):265–81. Review.
Recent developments in vitamin D deficiency and muscle weakness among elderly people. BMJ 2005;330:524–526 (5 March). Review.
Menatetrenone and vitamin D2 with calcium supplements prevent nonvertebral fracture in elderly women with Alzheimer's disease. Bone. 2005 Jan;36(1):61–8.
Vitamin D deficiency in community older adults with falls of gait imbalance: an under-recognized problem in the inner city. J Nutr Elder. 2005;25(1):7–19.
Vitamin D supplementation improves neuromuscular function in older people who fall. Age Ageing. 2004 Nov;33(6):589–95.
Higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with better lower-extremity function in both active and inactive persons aged > or =60 y. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Sep;80(3):752–8.
Which circulating level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is appropriate? J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2004 May;89–90(1–5):611–4. Review.
Effect of Vitamin D on falls: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004 Apr 28;291(16):1999–2006. Review.
Genetic variation in the human vitamin D receptor is associated with muscle strength, fat mass and body weight in Swedish women. Eur J Endocrinol. 2004 Mar;150(3):323–8.
A randomised, controlled comparison of different calcium and vitamin D supplementation regimens in elderly women after hip fracture: The Nottingham Neck of Femur (NONOF) Study. Age Ageing. 2004 Jan;33(1):45–51.
Effect of vitamin D on muscle strength and relevance in regard to osteoporosis prevention. Z Rheumatol. 2003 Dec;62(6):518–21. In German.
Effects of vitamin D supplementation on strength, physical function, and health perception in older, community-dwelling men. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003 Dec;51(12):1762–7.
Serum vitamin D and falls in older women in residential care in Australia. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003 Nov;51(11):1533–8.
Effects of vitamin d supplementation on strength, physical performance, and falls in older persons: a systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003 Sep;51(9):1219–26. Review.
Effects of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on falls: a randomized controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2003 Feb;18(2):343–51.
A rationale for vitamin D prescribing in a falls clinic population. Age Ageing. 2002 Jul;31(4):267–71.
Neuromuscular and psychomotor function in elderly subjects who fall and the relationship with vitamin D status. J Bone Miner Res. 2002 May;17(5):891–7.
Vitamin D deficiency, muscle function, and falls in elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Apr;75(4):611–5. Review.
Vitamin D and muscle function. Osteoporos Int. 2002 Mar;13(3):187–94. Review.
Determinants of acceptance of a community-based program for the prevention of falls and fractures among the elderly. Prev Med. 2001 Aug;33(2 Pt 1):115–9.
Vitamin D status, trunk muscle strength, body sway, falls, and fractures among 237 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2001;109(2):87–92.
Muscle strength, functional mobility and vitamin D in older women. Aging (Milano). 2000 Dec;12(6):455–60.
Vitamin D deficiency among immigrants. Ugeskr Laeger. 2000 Nov 13;162(46):6196–9. Review in Danish.
Osteomalacia in immigrants: therapeutic management of two cases. Med Klin (Munich). 2000 Aug 15;95(8):451–6. In German.
Effects of a short–term vitamin D and calcium supplementation on body sway and secondary hyperparathyroidism in elderly women. J Bone Miner Res. 2000 Jun;15(6):1113–8.
Severe myopathy associated with vitamin D deficiency in western New York. Arch Intern Med. 2000 Apr 24;160(8):1199–203.
Relationship between muscle strength and vitamin D metabolites: are there therapeutic possibilities in the elderly? Z Rheumatol. 2000;59 Suppl 1:39–41.
Occult vitamin D deficiency in postmenopausal US women with acute hip fracture. JAMA. 1999 Apr 28;281(16):1505–11.
Disease caused by lack of sunlight: rickets and osteomalacia. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1999 Mar 20;143(12):593–7. Review in Dutch.
Muscle strength in the elderly: its relation to vitamin D metabolites. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1999 Jan;80(1):54–8.
Amelioration of osteopenia and hypovitaminosis D by 1alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1999 Jan;66(1):64–8.
Muscle weakness in intensive care patients: initial manifestation of vitamin D deficiency. Intensive Care Med. 1994 Nov;20(8):591–2.
A rare differential diagnosis of waddling gait—osteomalacia caused by vitamin D deficiency. Nervenarzt. 1993 Jun;64(6):407–10. In German.
Vitamin D3 and calcium to prevent hip fractures in the elderly women. N Engl J Med. 1992 Dec 3;327(23):1637–42.
Vitamin D metabolism and osteomalacia in cystic fibrosis. Gastroenterology. 1985 Mar;88(3):808–13.
Muscle weakness in osteomalacia. Lancet. 1976 Mar 20;1(7960):626–9.

back to research menu

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, all site content licensed under a Creative Commons License.