Recent Blog Articles

Polio: What parents need to know now

Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: When and where is it safe?

Have lupus? What to know about birth control

Screening at home for memory loss: Should you try it?

Travel tummy troubles: Here’s how to prevent or soothe them

Easy, delicious summer veggie meals will help stretch your food budget

Tracking viruses: The best clues may be in the sewer

Promising therapy if PSA rises after prostate cancer surgery

Strong legs help power summer activities: Hiking, biking, swimming, and more

Should you try intermittent fasting for weight loss?
Pain
Vitamin D deficiency might affect recovery from knee surgery
- By Kelly Bilodeau, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
Research we're watching
Could a vitamin D deficiency be linked to a more painful recovery from knee surgery? A study published online May 5, 2021, by the journal Menopause says it’s possible.
The study looked at 226 women recruited from 2017 to 2019. Researchers divided women into two groups based on their vitamin D levels before undergoing surgery. One group had normal vitamin D levels (at or above 30 ng/mL); the other group was defined as vitamin D deficient (below 30 ng/mL). The women were tracked to see how well they did after surgery. While there was no difference found between the groups in how successful the surgery was in improving knee function, there were differences in how much recuperation pain the women experienced. Women with low blood levels of vitamin D were more likely to have moderate to severe pain during recovery than women with normal vitamin D levels. This does not mean that taking additional vitamin D would decrease pain after knee surgery, but the findings add to the growing list of conditions other than bone health related to low vitamin D levels.
Image: mkitina4/Getty Images
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
You might also be interested in…

Making Sense of Vitamins and Minerals
About half of all Americans routinely take dietary supplements. The most common ones are multivitamin and multimineral supplements. Making Sense of Vitamins and Minerals: Choosing the foods and nutrients you need to stay healthy explains the evidence behind the benefits and safety profiles of various vitamins and minerals. It also includes the recommended minimum and maximum amounts you should consume, as well as good food sources of each.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!