UK would save as least 636 million dollars annually by giving 800 IU vitamin D free to all seniors – June 2014

Note: 2 publications on this page by the same authors:
#1 is behind a paywall,
#2 is free

The short-term impact of vitamin D-based hip fracture prevention in older adults in the United Kingdom (pub #1)

J Endocrinol Invest. 2014 Jun 24. [Epub ahead of print]
Poole CD1, Smith JC, Davies JS. daviesjs at cf.ac.uk
Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

PURPOSE: Vitamin D is a relatively inexpensive drug yet an important hormone in terms of calcium and bone homeostasis. Treatment with vitamin D is associated with reduced fracture risk particularly in an elderly population. Therefore, we assessed the budgetary impact of routine prescription of 800 IU daily colecalciferol on hip fracture among older adults in the United Kingdom.

METHODS: Using meta-analysis findings for treatment effect and UK-estimates of incidence, we performed a health economic evaluation of treating the UK population aged 65 and over with 800 IU of vitamin D daily, assessing the impact upon hip fracture costs using incremental attributable costs and excess mortality for a range of age- gender-based treatment strategies.

RESULTS: Using only a 1-year horizon, considering only reduction in hip fracture, prescribing colecalciferol 800 IU daily to all adults aged 65 and over, could reduce the number of incident hip fractures from 65,400 to 45,700, saving almost 1,700 associated deaths, whilst saving the UK taxpayer £22 million.

CONCLUSIONS: As the UK government seeks to reduce public expenditure in all sectors, investment in prescribed prophylactic colecalciferol 800 IU therapy for adults aged 65 and over is likely to yield cost savings through reduction hip fracture alone in the first year.

PMID: 24957166

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Same authors, pub #2 - Sept 2015

Cost-effectiveness and budget impact of Empirical vitamin D therapy on unintentional falls in older adults in the UK

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

Age	Pounds Saved	$ Saved
60+	420 M	$636 M
75+	2,056 M	$3,116 M

Thus saving $3 Billion if just give 800 IU to those who fall a lot (> age 75)

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Comments on publication #1

Would save much more money if

1. Used higher dose of vitamin D - 800 IU is barely enough to make a difference
2. Consider benefits to other health problems of seniors: example vertebral fracture
3. Give an even higher dose to those seniors who are especially at high risk of being vitamin D deficient
   shut-in, dark skin, overweight, avoid the sun due to fear of skin cancer, etc.
4. Include cofactors for strong bones: Magnesium for example (see below)

Suspect that the study assumed 100% compliance - vs typical compliance is only about 30%

• There are many ways to greatly increase compliance - such as
  15 minutes of education improved vitamin D compliance – Mar 2012
  Home fortification of food with vitamin D
• Search VitaminDWiki for COMPLIANCE 545 items as of June 2014

Appears that the study did not include education nor distribution costs for the vitamin D (see Table 1)

Publisher wants $40 for the PDF

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview Fractures and vitamin D
• Bone fractures reduced by a minimum of 800 IU vitamin D and Calcium – meta-meta-analysis March 2014
• 6500 IU vitamin D not improve bone density without co-factors – Jan 2012
• Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium, etc increase bone density when taking together– Jan 2012
• All items in category Falls or Fractures and Vitamin D 260 items
• Overview Fractures and Falls and Vitamin D
• Seniors with adequate vitamin D could rebalance themselves 80% faster, and thus not fall as often – 2013
• More likely to report that productvitiy was effected by health problems if low vitamin D - 2012

Meta-analysis of Falls and Fracture in VitaminDWiki

Pages listed in BOTH Falls/Fracture and Cost Savings

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