Calcium, Vitamin D and Hip Fracture

[Guest guest]

Review: vitamin D plus calcium, but not vitamin D alone, prevents osteoporotic fractures in older people

Avenell A, Gillespie WJ, Gillespie LD, et al.

"Vitamin D and vitamin D analogues for preventing fractures associated with involutional and post-menopausal osteoporosis."

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005;(3):CD000227. Q In older people, does supplementation with vitamin D, with or without calcium, reduce fractures?

METHODSData sources 10 databases, lists of conference abstracts, bibliographies of relevant studies, and contact with researchers in the field.

Study selection and assessment: randomised and quasirandomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared vitamin D or its analogue (with or without calcium) with placebo, no intervention, or calcium alone in postmenopausal women or men >65 years of age. Studies of patients on corticosteroid therapy were excluded. 2 reviewers assessed study quality.

Outcomes: new vertebral, hip, and other non-vertebral fractures and adverse events.

MAIN RESULTS38 RCTs met the selection criteria. The quality of study methods ranged from poor to satisfactory: 34% had concealment of allocation, and 54% were blinded. Vitamin D alone did not prevent hip, vertebral, or any fracture more than placebo or no treatment. Vitamin D plus calcium prevented hip and non-vertebral fractures more than placebo or no treatment, but not more than calcium alone. ................ Olof ell, MD, PhD

Malmo University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden.

======================================

The full text is free with registration.

PMID: 16034849 Rodney.