Researchers Find Little Benefit From Calcium in 69-Trial Review
Researchers in Canada found calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, or both together provided little to no clinically meaningful benefit for preventing fractures or falls in most older adults. The BMJ review analyzed 69 randomized controlled trials involving 153,902 adults. It adds fresh evidence to a question that has shaped routine bone-health advice for years.
The BMJ review
The review found little to no reduction in overall fracture risk from calcium supplements in 11 trials involving 9,067 participants. It found little to no reduction from vitamin D supplements in 36 trials involving 92,045 participants, and the same pattern for combined supplementation in 15 trials involving 51,126 participants.
Across the full analysis, the researchers also found little to no benefit for preventing hip fractures or reducing falls. They said the findings do not support routine supplementation with calcium or vitamin D, or both together, to prevent fractures and falls.
Current recommendations
The paper comes after calcium and vitamin D supplements have been widely recommended by healthcare providers, professional guidelines, and regulatory agencies for bone health in recent years. Prescriptions for these supplements have also risen considerably in recent years, even as previous reviews had already raised questions about how well they work.
The researchers said earlier evidence generally found no reduction in fracture risk from either supplement alone, while results for taking both together had been mixed. The role of vitamin D in reducing falls had remained uncertain before this review.
Older adults and falls
The article said nearly one in three people age 65 and older experiences a fall each year. The authors suggested that clinicians, guideline panels, and regulatory agencies should re-evaluate their general recommendations for calcium and vitamin D supplementation in light of current evidence.
The review also cautioned that its results may not apply to people with certain bone disorders or to those receiving medication for osteoporosis. For most older adults using supplements for general bone health, the new evidence points away from routine use as a fracture or fall prevention strategy.
