Vitamin D Deficiency in Acute Stroke

CAMBRIDGE, England--Vitamin D deficiency is present in most cases of acute stroke and may even precede a stroke event, according to a recent study conducted at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and published in the January issue of Stroke (37, 1:243, 2006).

Previous research has shown stroke can reduce bone mineral density (BMD) and induce vitamin D deficiency that can increase post-stroke hip fractures--especially in long-term survivors--but the Addenbrooke scientists investigated levels of the vitamin in cases of acute stroke. They compared serum 25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels of 44 first-stroke patients in Addenbrooke’s acute stroke unit with serum levels in 96 healthy, ambulant elderly subjects every 2 months for one year.

After accounting for seasonal variance, researchers found more than two-thirds of the acute patients exhibited a vitamin D deficiency. They concluded not only did a majority of acute stroke patients have a vitamin D deficiency throughout the year, but such deficiency might have also preceded the initial stroke. Thus, they noted, vitamin D is a potential risk marker for stroke, and the role of vitamin D repletion in enhancing musculoskeletal health after stroke needs to be further investigated.

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