Vitamin A Intake and Hip Fractures Among Postmenopausal Women

Top Cited Papers
Open Access
Abstract
Ingestion of toxic amounts of vitamin A has long been known to have adverse skeletal effects.1,2 In animals, retinoic acid suppresses osteoblast activity,3 stimulates osteoclast formation,4 and antagonizes the ability of vitamin D to maintain normal serum calcium levels,5 all of which may contribute to the accelerated bone resorption and fractures observed with hypervitaminosis A.6 In humans, long-term ingestion of high amounts of vitamin A can lead to hypercalcemia and bone abnormalities.7 In addition, lower bone mass8 and decreased biochemical markers for bone turnover9 have been observed in patients treated with retinoids for skin diseases.