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Vitamin D Plus Calcium May Protect
Everyone From Fracture According
To a New Study
For Supporting Bone And Joint Health... Daily Supplements
Which Combine Vitamin D And Calcium May Reduce The Risk
of Fractures For Everyone, Regardless of Age or Gender, Say
The Results of a Huge Study.
Almost 70,000 people participated in the US and Europe and found
that the vitamin-mineral combination significantly reduced fractures
by 8 per cent, and hip fractures by 16 per cent, according to results
of a pooled analysis published in the British Medical Journal.
However, supplemental vitamin D on its own had no significant
effects on fracture prevention, said the study, led by researchers
at Copenhagen University in Denmark.
"What is important about this very large study is that goes a long way
toward resolving conflicting evidence about the role of vitamin D,
either alone or in combination with calcium, in reducing fractures,"
said co-authors from the University of California, Davis.
The combination of vitamin D and calcium has long been recommended
to reduce the risk of bone fracture for older people, particularly those at
risk of or suffering from osteoporosis, which is estimated to affect about
75million people in the USA, Europe and Japan.
The action of the nutrients is complimentary, with calcium supporting
bone formation and repair, while vitamin D helps the body absorb
calcium. The proposed dosages were 1000mg calcium and 800 IU
vitamin D3. This new study reports that the bone boosting effects of
vitamin D plus calcium may also extend to other age groups and to
both sexes.
Study details:
The researchers used data from seven major randomised trials
of vitamin D with calcium or vitamin D alone, providing data from
68,517 people. The average age of the participants was 69.9, and
15 per cent of the people were men.
According to findings published in the British Medical Journal, trials
which used only vitamin D showed no significant reductions in fracture
risk. When 10 micrograms of the vitamin was taken with calcium,
however, reduced risks of fracture and hip fracture of 8 and 16 per
cent, respectively. The combination was effective "irrespective of
age, sex, or previous fractures", emphasized the researchers.
"This study supports a growing consensus that combined calcium
and vitamin D is more effective than vitamin D alone in reducing a
variety of fractures,". "Interestingly, this combination of supplements
benefits both women and men of all ages, which is not something we
fully expected to find. We now need to investigate the best dosage,
duration and optimal way for people to take it," they explained.
Estimates suggest that in the absence of primary prevention the
number of hip fractures worldwide will increase to approximately
2.6 million by the year 2025, and 4.5 million by the year 2050.
Osteoporosis weakens bone strength which increases the likelihood
of hip fracture, a problem that increases with age.
Source: British Medical Journal
2010; 340: b5463 Published online Almost 70,000 people
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