Calcium Intake in Elderly Women of Appalachia
Calcium Intake in Elderly Women of Appalachia
Background. Although it has been recommended that women aged 65 and older consume at least 1,500 mg of calcium daily, no studies are available that define the factors associated with adequate intake.
Methods. We studied 184 elderly women to determine the relationship between foodstuff calcium consumption and anthropomorphic measurements and numerous life-style changes.
Results. The mean foodstuff calcium consumption was 563.4 mg/day, with significantly higher intake noted in women who snacked daily, did not skip meals, drank one or more servings of milk daily, and ate yogurt daily. Dietary calcium intake was also dependent on socioeconomic status and personal attitudes toward milk.
Conclusions. All elderly women in this study underachieved the recommended dietary calcium intake of 1,500 mg/day. Widescale public education to promote more positive attitudes among elderly women is crucial. The evidence from this study recommends calcium supplements with vitamin D for virtually all elderly women.
Although a link between foodstuff calcium consumption and fracture rates was established several years ago, it has been only in recent years that considerable attention has been directed toward emphasizing the importance of adequate calcium intake with respect to the diet of elderly women. In 1978, Heaney et al showed through calcium balance studies in perimenopausal women that a minimum of 1,500 mg of calcium daily was needed to achieve at least a nonnegative calcium balance. This finding has not only been advocated by the 1994 Consensus Conference on Calcium, but also caused a change in the 1997 recommended daily allotment. Calcium supplements in women reduce the biochemical markers of bone resorption, improve bone mineral density, and diminish fractures. During the past 5 years, the introduction of bisphosphonates and nasal calcitonin for the treatment of osteoporosis has further underscored the need for consuming adequate calcium intake. A recent meta-analysis of postmenopausal women showed that high calcium intake potentiate the effect of calcitonin and estrogen therapy on bone mass at all skeletal sites.
Elderly adults require relatively higher calcium intake than other subpopulations because of inadequate vitamin D levels, impaired conversion of vitamin D to its active compound in aging kidneys, impaired renal calcium conservation, and reduced intestinal absorption of ingested calcium. For the serum calcium to maintain its state of normalcy in the situation of reduced dietary intake, elevated parathyroid hormone levels draw from the bone reservoir. This resultant state of secondary hyperparathyroidism may substantially contribute to bone loss in the elderly. Calcium administration can suppress the increased parathyroid hormone levels as well as the biochemical markers of bone resorption back to values observed in premenopausal women. The inability of elderly women to adequately increase calcium intake to suppress secondary hyperparathyroidism makes it difficult to distinguish age-related bone loss from nutritional bone disease. Despite all of these acknowledged benefits of increased calcium consumption to bone loss, calcium intake in the United States remains low, especially in elderly women.
Dairy products remain the main supply of dietary calcium in the United States. Although the level of milk tolerance and social environment were found to be the major determinants of calcium intake in adolescents, all essential factors that affect calcium nutrition in the elderly have yet to be uncovered. Thus, we conducted a study by the 24-hour dietary recall method in a sample of elderly women to test the hypothesis that certain social, personal, economic, and dietary factors influence calcium foodstuff consumption. The goal of this investigation was to identify which factors and dietary items would distinguish elderly women with high calcium intake.
Background. Although it has been recommended that women aged 65 and older consume at least 1,500 mg of calcium daily, no studies are available that define the factors associated with adequate intake.
Methods. We studied 184 elderly women to determine the relationship between foodstuff calcium consumption and anthropomorphic measurements and numerous life-style changes.
Results. The mean foodstuff calcium consumption was 563.4 mg/day, with significantly higher intake noted in women who snacked daily, did not skip meals, drank one or more servings of milk daily, and ate yogurt daily. Dietary calcium intake was also dependent on socioeconomic status and personal attitudes toward milk.
Conclusions. All elderly women in this study underachieved the recommended dietary calcium intake of 1,500 mg/day. Widescale public education to promote more positive attitudes among elderly women is crucial. The evidence from this study recommends calcium supplements with vitamin D for virtually all elderly women.
Although a link between foodstuff calcium consumption and fracture rates was established several years ago, it has been only in recent years that considerable attention has been directed toward emphasizing the importance of adequate calcium intake with respect to the diet of elderly women. In 1978, Heaney et al showed through calcium balance studies in perimenopausal women that a minimum of 1,500 mg of calcium daily was needed to achieve at least a nonnegative calcium balance. This finding has not only been advocated by the 1994 Consensus Conference on Calcium, but also caused a change in the 1997 recommended daily allotment. Calcium supplements in women reduce the biochemical markers of bone resorption, improve bone mineral density, and diminish fractures. During the past 5 years, the introduction of bisphosphonates and nasal calcitonin for the treatment of osteoporosis has further underscored the need for consuming adequate calcium intake. A recent meta-analysis of postmenopausal women showed that high calcium intake potentiate the effect of calcitonin and estrogen therapy on bone mass at all skeletal sites.
Elderly adults require relatively higher calcium intake than other subpopulations because of inadequate vitamin D levels, impaired conversion of vitamin D to its active compound in aging kidneys, impaired renal calcium conservation, and reduced intestinal absorption of ingested calcium. For the serum calcium to maintain its state of normalcy in the situation of reduced dietary intake, elevated parathyroid hormone levels draw from the bone reservoir. This resultant state of secondary hyperparathyroidism may substantially contribute to bone loss in the elderly. Calcium administration can suppress the increased parathyroid hormone levels as well as the biochemical markers of bone resorption back to values observed in premenopausal women. The inability of elderly women to adequately increase calcium intake to suppress secondary hyperparathyroidism makes it difficult to distinguish age-related bone loss from nutritional bone disease. Despite all of these acknowledged benefits of increased calcium consumption to bone loss, calcium intake in the United States remains low, especially in elderly women.
Dairy products remain the main supply of dietary calcium in the United States. Although the level of milk tolerance and social environment were found to be the major determinants of calcium intake in adolescents, all essential factors that affect calcium nutrition in the elderly have yet to be uncovered. Thus, we conducted a study by the 24-hour dietary recall method in a sample of elderly women to test the hypothesis that certain social, personal, economic, and dietary factors influence calcium foodstuff consumption. The goal of this investigation was to identify which factors and dietary items would distinguish elderly women with high calcium intake.
