ask our wellness MD
Should You Get
a Vitamin D Test?
Vitamin D tests
are usually used
after a health
problem is
detected, but
should they be
part of routine
physical check-
ups for healthy
women? We
asked Stephen
Honig, M.D.,
director of The
Osteoporosis
QMy 53
_{min D}:-year-old friend discovered that very low vita-
levels have contributed to her osteoporosis, yet
EXPERTS
Center at the
she was never tested for vitamin D until very recently.
At 51, should I be asking for a vitamin D test? Should
NYU Hospital for
I be getting regular bone scans?
Joint Diseases.
OUR
ASK

*E-mail questions to askwellnessmd@ GreatHealthMag.com

A:Checking vitamin D levels with a blood test should be part of routine physical check-ups at any age. Vitamin D is important for absorbing calcium from the diet, and very low levels of vitamin D can result in loss of calcium from bone, making bones weaker and more likely to fracture.

In addition to being used to form bone, calcium is critical to neuromuscular function, which includes

brain and heart function. When a vitamin D deficiency interferes with calcium absorption, calcium is taken out of bone and dissolved back into the blood, because the body is more concerned with preserving neuromuscular and other cellular functions than it is about bone. In other words, bone is not just skeletal support, it’s also the reservoir of calcium for other functions. Adequate vitamin D prevents