National Osteoporosis Society - Osteoporosis Forum / Osteoporosis Forums / Books & Information / Vitamin D again, from the government this time ! / Latest Posts

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

Eliza — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 08:53:54 GMT

I am on long term Vitamin D 800iu as recommended by my consultant, with levels being checked, along with calcium, every six months. It can take up to three weeks for Vitamin D results to come back as they save up the samples until they have a batch to make the 30 mile journey to the lab.

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

SheilB — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:09:40 GMT

Thank you both for this information, I thought it was very strange not to have heard it before! I had to make the appointment with the receptionist and the nurse I saw this morning was new to the practice having come back from raising her children. She saw this on the computer and checked the time of the next collection to the local hospital labs. The test I had in 2010 was at the local orthop. hospital and the nurse there said it had to go to Liverpool, goodness knows why! I have to phone for results next Monday so will ask which test then. I don't know what I would do without this forum!!!!!

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

Dylan Hughes — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:00:37 GMT

Hi SheilB,

If you are not sure about the tests you have had then please call our Helpline on 0845 450 0230. They'll be able to give you information about the latest clinical practices.

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

AnneB — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:25:31 GMT

[quote][b]SheilB (07/08/2012)[/b][hr]Just been for a vit d test and didn't realise that the test has to be processed all within 6 hours of blood being taken. This was a surprise to me, especially as I was told by my local ortho. hosp. that they send to Liverpool labs! (from Oxford). Did anyone else know about this? It means you have to time your appointments for blood tests to coincide with the delivery time to lab and the receptionist making the appointments would not necessarily be aware of this.[/quote]
Ummm, no it doesn't Sheila unless....ummmm....they've done the wrong test on you ? There's a different vitamin D test called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-D) which has to be whisked away to the lab on ice or something and is the wrong test to check your vitamin D status. Also the test doesn't have to be sent to a special lab - your local one should be able to do it, the same one as Sarah's. I have a horrible feeling your GP requested the wrong test :( You might want to contact the GP to ask exactly the name of the test you had. I get my vitamin D test at the same time as my other routine tests, it's done along with lipids and TSH and everything for my diabetes, done at my GP's and gets sent to the local hospital lab with no special anything.

Dr Holick explains about the two different tests, here's where I wrote about it a while back: two different vitamin D tests

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

SheilB — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:13:12 GMT

Just been for a vit d test and didn't realise that the test has to be processed all within 6 hours of blood being taken. This was a surprise to me, especially as I was told by my local ortho. hosp. that they send to Liverpool labs! (from Oxford). Did anyone else know about this? It means you have to time your appointments for blood tests to coincide with the delivery time to lab and the receptionist making the appointments would not necessarily be aware of this.

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

Sarah W — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:32:22 GMT

Thank you for the link to this document. I found it difficult to read on screen and you had to scroll up and down the same page twice! but what I did read made me feel hopeful that the 'movers and shakers' on the NOS are really active in getting more preventative work done as well as challenging the 'stay out the sun' message that is damaging for people with OP.

Sarah

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

AnneB — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:41:41 GMT

Just found the whole report from the All-Party Parliamentary Osteoporosis Group on the NOS website here: www.nos.org.uk/document.doc?id=894

This is particularly interesting:

[i]"Conflicting opinions are a barrier to achieving a clear official position on vitamin D intake and safe sunlight exposure. During this inquiry’s first oral evidence session, health journalist and researcher Dr Oliver Gillie stated that a minimum level of 75nmol/l of vitamin D in the blood should be achieved. He went further by suggesting that recommended blood levels should actually be 100 nmol/l or 120nmol/l to ensure a minimum level of 75nmol/l throughout the year. Dr Gillie even suggests that a level of up to 350 nmol/l is safe."[/i]

RE: Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

Amelie — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:40:25 GMT

Yes this would be great I'd love to get back to having my 20 mins sun, but here in Sussex it seems we have had summer and now we are on the longest day there isn't any sun and hasn't been for several weeks. We are already heading for winter it seems! Will just have to keep on taking the tablets.

Amelie

Vitamin D again, from the government this time !

AnneB — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:09:08 GMT

Apparently in our government we have an [b]All-Party Parliamentary Osteoporosis Group[/b] ! I never knew that ! Anyway, I just read this good article about a report from them in the Mail:

[i]Need not apply: Get 20 minutes of sun a day (without lotion) 'to help beat brittle bones'
By SOPHIE BORLAND

A group of MPs have said 20 minutes unprotected in the sun is actually good for you.
Britons should spend up to 20 minutes in the sun every day to protect their bones, according to MPs.
There are fears that rising numbers of elderly people are suffering fractures because their bones have become weak due to a lack of vitamin D.
Now a report by a group of MPs is recommending that everyone spends ten minutes in the sun without protection once or twice a day during late spring and summer.
The advice goes against major public health campaigns that have urged people to stay out of the sun during the middle of day in summer and apply sun cream.
But the All-Party Parliamentary Osteoporosis Group warns that if people are completely avoiding the sunlight when it is strongest they risk not getting enough vitamin D.
Elderly people in care homes or hospital are at particular risk of vitamin D deficiency as they are often immobile and cannot get outside, according to the report.
For this reason, it is crucial doctors and carers ensure they have a nutritious diet and are given vitamin D supplements to protect their bones, it adds.
Britain has one of the highest rates of hip fractures in the EU – up to 75,000 each year.
This figure has risen by almost a fifth in the past decade and the vast majority occur among the elderly. As the injury is so debilitating, many will never recover and a third die within a year.
The report warns that fractures caused by weakened bones and osteoporosis are now a 'major public health concern'.
But it points out there are simple steps people can take throughout their lives to keep bones strong.
Everyone should spend ten minutes once or twice a day in the sun from May to September without sun cream, making sure their arms and face are fully exposed, the report says.
They should also do 20 minutes of 'weight-bearing exercise' three or four times a week.
It urges people to eat a healthy, balanced diet, rich in calcium and vitamin D, avoid smoking and only drink alcohol in moderation.
Osteoporosis and resultant hip fractures cost the NHS around £2.3billion a year. Every year there are around 300,000 fragility fractures – breaks due to weakened bones.
This compares to 275,000 heart attacks and 110,000 strokes.
James Cooper, of the National Osteoporosis Society, said: 'More needs to be done to ensure that people have a clear understanding of what is required for strong bones.'[/i]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2006035/Get-20-minutes-sun-day-help-beat-brittle-bones-say-MPs.html