Fracture Risk May Not Be Reduced By Vitamin D Supplement

 

Research shows that calcium and Vitamin D supplement might not reduce the risk of fracture. This research which was published in the journal the American Medical Association involved around 51,145 participants from 33 different clinical trials. There was not much difference in the risk of hip fracture for participants who used calcium supplement as well as Vitamin D supplements. This is compared to those participants who used a placebo or not any supplement at all.

Reports Shows Dietary Supplement Dangers

This study involved participants who were 50 years old and not living in their own homes or using anti-osteoporosis medication. These participants didn’t also have a history of steroid-induced bone breakdown.

There was no significant association found in combined calcium and Vitamin D supplements. These supplements never influenced incidences vertebral, any vertebra land total fracture. This was part of the researchers’ secondary observation.

The researchers used supplements studies and did not use studies that looked into the dietary intake of both Vitamin D and calcium. Also, an approximation of 95% of hip fractures was as a result of falling sideways. This is according to US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Researchers also suggested that when people take a high amount of these supplements, they risk getting serious side effect, especially when they over use both Vitamin D and calcium supplements. Previous studies also link high doses of this supplement to increased risk of kidney stones, fracture, certain cancers, premature death and falls.

What Were the Research Limitation?

The limitation of this research is that some of the trials did not include pre-treatment measurements of Vitamin D blood levels. This might have greatly influenced how much supplement impacted the fracture risk. Also, these trials were not high-quality experiment as the author notes.

Severe deficiency of Vitamin D and calcium can contribute to reduced bone density as well as increased risk of fracture. Participants involved in this program were too sick to be included in the study. This is according to Dr. Kurt from Mayo Clinic who is a specialist in endocrinology, nutrition and metabolism.

A key conclusion from this research is that older people both men and women should not equate vitamin D and calcium supplement as an adequate treatment for reducing the risk of osteoporosis fractures. They should note that osteoporosis occurs naturally as people get old and can be as elevated as women go through menopause.

The study suggested that people who require vitamin D should first look for it in their diet instead of rushing to get it from these supplements. Every guideline indicates that dietary calcium should be the initial approach when obtaining calcium for your body. Researchers suggested that people who are already taking the supplements should stop immediately without seeking doctor’s approval. He also indicated that routine use of vitamin D or calcium supplements in both older women and men to prevent fracture should not be advised.