Dianne Travers-Gustafson

Vitamin D status in a rural postmenopausal female population

Background: Inadequate vitamin D nutritional status is increasingly recognized as common in North American and European populations, but the extent of the shortfall and the parameters of the distribution for populations of interest remain uncertain. Purpose: To report the distribution of values for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in a population of rural postmenopausal women, together with quantification of factors related to vitamin D status. Setting: Nine largely agrarian counties in eastern Nebraska (∼41° N). Participants: A population-based sample of 1,179 women 55 years of age and older recruited into a four-year trial of calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Methods: Baseline biochemical, dietary, and anthropometric measurements obtained on entry into trial. Results: Serum 25(OH)D concentration at baseline varied cyclically with season, with the solar cycle explaining 2.9% of the total variance (P < 0.001). Mean seasonally adjusted 25(OH)D concentration was 71.1 nmol/L. Serum 25(OH)D also exhibited the expected inverse curvilinear relationship with serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), with the inflection point of the curve located at approximately 80 nmol/L. Supplements containing vitamin D were regularly taken by 59% of the cohort (median dose: 200 IU/d). Nevertheless, approximately 4% of all women had values below the laboratory reference range and more than two-thirds fell below 80 nmol/L. Seasonally adjusted serum 25(OH)D concentration was positively correlated with the size of daily vitamin D supplement dose, and negatively with age, weight, and body mass index (P < 0.01 for all). In stepwise multiple linear regression models, weight, age, and supplement dose were independently correlated with seasonally adjusted serum 25(OH)D, and together explained 19% of the total variance of adjusted 25(OH)D concentration. Women taking supplements had only one-sixth the chance of having a 25(OH)D value below the reference limit of the assay, compared to women who did not use supplements. Conclusions: Approximately two-thirds of this rural population fell below 80 nmol/L, a value considered to be the lower end of the optimal range. Based on the slope of 25(OH)D on supplement dose observed in these women, it would require an additional vitamin D input of nearly 2000 IU/d to reach the goal of an RDA for vitamin D, i.e., to bring 97.5% of the cohort to levels of 80 nmol/L or higher.

Cortical ultrasound velocity as an indicator of bone status

Normative population data are reported here for velocity of ultrasound in tibial cortical bone in a population-based sample of both men and women (n=371). The cortical measurement is highly precise with reproducibility of the order of 0.5%. As with heel and patellar trabecular velocity, tibial cortical velocity declines with age from the fourth through the ninth decades. The rate is 1.7 m/s per year in men and 4.1 m/s per year in women. Tibial cortical velocity values correlate with patellar velocity and with forearm mineral, with correlation coefficients ranging from + 0.46 to +0.54 in women and +0.27 to +0.43 in men (P<0.002 for all). Tibial velocity averaged 77–104 m/s lower (2–3%: equal to about 1 SD of the young adult normal distribution) in individuals with a history of low-energy appendicular fractures (P<0.05), and the difference remained significant after adjusting for age. However, there were no perceptible differences in tibial velocity for those with and without vertebral fractures. Odds ratios derived from logistic regression showed an approximate twofold increase in likelihood of low-energy appendicular fracture for every standard deviation decrement in velocity. Comparison of tibial velocity with patellar velocity and forearm density in the same individuals revealed tibial velocity to be more strongly associated with appendicular fractures than patellar velocity for women and about the same for men, and less strongly associated than patellar velocity for vertebral fractures. We conclude that tibial cortical velocity provides useful information about bone status in populations at risk for osteoporosis, and seems particularly well suited for assessing appendicular fracture risk.

Effect of Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation on Cancer Incidence in Older Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Evidence suggests that low vitamin D status may increase the risk of cancer. Objective To determine if dietary supplementation with vitamin D3 and calcium reduces the risk of cancer among older women. Design, Setting, and Participants A 4-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled, population-based randomized clinical trial in 31 rural counties (June 24, 2009, to August 26, 2015—the final date of follow-up). A total of 2303 healthy postmenopausal women 55 years or older were randomized, 1156 to the treatment group and 1147 to the placebo group. Duration of treatment was 4 years. Interventions The treatment group (vitamin D3 + calcium group) received 2000 IU/d of vitamin D3 and 1500 mg/d of calcium; the placebo group received identical placebos. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the incidence of all-type cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers), which was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and proportional hazards modeling. Results Among 2303 randomized women (mean age, 65.2 years [SD, 7.0]; mean baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, 32.8 ng/mL [SD, 10.5]), 2064 (90%) completed the study. At year 1, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were 43.9 ng/mL in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and 31.6 ng/mL in the placebo group. A new diagnosis of cancer was confirmed in 109 participants, 45 (3.89%) in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and 64 (5.58%) in the placebo group (difference, 1.69% [95% CI, −0.06% to 3.46%]; P = .06). Kaplan-Meier incidence over 4 years was 0.042 (95% CI, 0.032 to 0.056) in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and 0.060 (95% CI, 0.048 to 0.076) in the placebo group; P = .06. In unadjusted Cox proportional hazards regression, the hazard ratio was 0.70 (95% CI, 0.47 to 1.02). Adverse events potentially related to the study included renal calculi (16 participants in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and 10 in the placebo group), and elevated serum calcium levels (6 in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and 2 in the placebo group). Conclusions and Relevance Among healthy postmenopausal older women with a mean baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 32.8 ng/mL, supplementation with vitamin D3 and calcium compared with placebo did not result in a significantly lower risk of all-type cancer at 4 years. Further research is necessary to assess the possible role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01052051

Factors Predicting Vitamin D Response Variation in Non-Hispanic White Postmenopausal Women

OBJECTIVE It is well documented that there is wide variation in the response of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] to a given dose of vitamin D supplementation. Understanding factors affecting the response variation is important for identifying subjects who are susceptible to vitamin D deficiency or toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate potential predictors for vitamin D response variation. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 1179 non-Hispanic white postmenopausal women were enrolled into a 4-yr calcium and vitamin D (1100 IU/d) clinical trial. Among them, serum 25(OH)D level of 1063 subjects were measured at both baseline and after 12 months treatment. Vitamin D response was computed for these 1063 subjects as the difference in levels of serum 25(OH)D concentration at the end of a 12-month vitamin D treatment compared with baseline. Stepwise linear regression was used to identify predictors of vitamin D response variation. RESULTS Increase in vitamin D intake, baseline serum 25(OH)D level, baseline blood collection season, baseline serum calcium level, and baseline body mass index were predictors of vitamin D response variation. These five factors explained 46.8% of the vitamin D response variation in the 1063 subjects. The first three factors [increase in vitamin D intake, baseline serum 25(OH)D level, baseline blood collection season] remained as predictors in the 392 subjects with trial vitamin D supplementation. For the first time, our study indicated that season is an important prediction factor for vitamin D response variation. Subjects who started vitamin D treatment in a cold season (autumn and winter) achieved a significantly higher serum 25(OH)D increase than those started in a hot season (summer) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our study suggests that the increase in vitamin D supplementation, baseline serum 25(OH)D level, and the season when initiating the vitamin D supplementation can partially predict vitamin D response variation in non-Hispanic postmenopausal women.

Ultrasound, densitometry, and extraskeletal appendicular fracture risk factors: a cross-sectional report on the Saunders County Bone Quality Study.

The Saunders County Bone Quality Study was designed to determine the feasibility of ultrasonic bone measurement, at the patella, as a predictor of low-trauma fractures in a runal population-based study. At the first visit of this 4-year longitudinal study, anthropometric and clinical measurements and medical, surgical, and fracture histories were obtained for the 1428 participants (899 women and 529 men). Explored risk factors for low-trauma fractures included age, sex, calcium intake, alcohol and caffeine ingestion, tobacco use, body mass and grip strength, age of menopause, estrogen replacement therapy, propensity to fall, distal radius and ulna bone mineral content, and bone density. Forward multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lower ultrasound values are more consistently associated with reported low-trauma appendicular fractures than the commonly reported forearm absorptiometry measures of radius mineral content and density. When ultrasound, age, and the extra skeletal risk factors were included in an additional multivariate model, only age and ultrasound were significantly associated with appendicular fracture history in women (P=0.0003), whereas only ultrasound was associated in the men (P=0.001). We conclude that ultrasound is a better measure of association with reported low-trauma fractures than the commonly reported forearm SPA measures. Even after adjustment for many of the extra skeletal risk factors, low AVU is highly associated with low-trauma fracture status for both women and men.

Breast Cancer, Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy, and Sexual Functioning: A Pilot Study of the Effects of Vaginal Testosterone Therapy

Introduction Women with breast cancer have better cancer-related outcomes with the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), but the physiological suppression of estradiol can negatively affect sexual functioning because of unpleasant urogenital and vaginal symptoms. Local health care practitioners have observed that the benefits of vaginal testosterone in allaying these unpleasant symptoms in women with breast cancer are similar to the benefits of vaginal estrogen in women without breast cancer. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of using a daily vaginal testosterone cream on the reported sexual health quality of life in women with breast cancer taking AI therapy. Methods Thirteen postmenopausal women with breast cancer on AI therapy and experiencing symptoms of sexual dysfunction were recruited from an oncology practice. The women were prescribed a 300 μg testosterone vaginal cream daily for 4 weeks. During the first study visit, a vaginal swab was obtained to rule out the presence of Candida species or Gardnerella vaginalis in participants. Women with positive vaginal swabs were treated prior to starting the vaginal testosterone therapy. Main Outcome Measure  The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) survey, measuring female sexual health quality of life, was administered during the first study visit and at the final study visit, after completing testosterone therapy. Results Twelve patients completed 4 weeks of daily vaginal testosterone therapy. When compared with baseline FSFI scores, there was a statistically significant improvement for individual domain scores of desire (P = 0.000), arousal (P = 0.002), lubrication (P = 0.018), orgasm (P = 0.005), satisfaction (P = 0.001), and pain (P = 0.000). Total domain scores reflecting sexual health quality of life also improved when compared with baseline (P = 0.000). Conclusions The use of a compounded testosterone vaginal cream applied daily for 4 weeks improves reported sexual health quality of life in women with breast cancer taking AIs. Dahir M and Travers-Gustafson D. Breast cancer, aromatase inhibitor therapy, and sexual functioning: A pilot study of the effects of vaginal testosterone therapy. Sex Med 2014;2:8–15.

Divorcing and Building a New Life

The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative description of womens experiences of divorcing and building a new life. Interviews with 10 divorced women were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Four phases were identified in the process of divorcing and building a new life: the emotional divorce, making the decision, pulling apart, and moving beyond. Feelings and coping strategies reported by the participants are described.