Serum vitamin D and risk of back pain in older men

Back pain is a prevalent and costly ailment for older Americans, with significant personal and population level impact. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) vitamin D] levels are common and are hypothesized to contribute to musculoskeletal pain. Cross-sectional studies have indicated an association between vitamin D deficiency and increased back pain but there is a paucity of robust prospective cohort studies representing this topic in the literature, particularly in men. This prospective cohort study was performed in a random sample of 1608 U.S. men from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS) all of whom were at least 65 years of age and community- dwelling.