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Calcium plus vitamin D modestly reduced fracture risk

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BALTIMORE — In a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials, calcium plus vitamin D only modestly reduced fracture risk and was not associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease outcomes, according to data presented by Jacqueline R. Center, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, at ASBMR 2013.

“Calcium and vitamin D supplements reduce fracture risk; the effect size is likely to be modest; and there’s an uncertainty and not very positive effect with cardiovascular disease outcomes,” Center, of the Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Program at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and St Vincent's Hospital in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia, said.

Center, who is also associate professor of medicine at University of New South Wales in Sydney, and colleagues included nine randomized, controlled trials on the efficacy of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on risk for fracture in their analysis. They also looked at three post-hoc analyses of randomized, controlled trials evaluating the link between calcium and vitamin D supplementation and CVD.

Using a Bayesian meta-analysis, the researchers found that calcium plus vitamin D supplements reduced the risk for fragility fracture by 13% (RR=0.87; 95% CI, 0.79-0.97).  They also identified this reduction in hip fractures (RR=0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.96), according to Center.  The data indicated a 74% probability for all fracture and an 85% probability for hip fracture that calcium plus vitamin D supplements reduced fracture risk by at least 10%.

Furthermore, calcium plus vitamin D supplements were not significantly linked to any CVD outcomes, including myocardial infarction (RR=1.18; 95% CI, 0.73-1.74), stroke (RR=1.17; 95% CI, 0.75-1.7), MI or stroke (RR=1.14; 95% CI, 0.74-1.64),  The probability of calcium and vitamin D supplements resulting in a 10% or greater risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes was only about 60%. – by Samantha Costa

For more information:

Frost S. Oral Poster Presentations: Clinical #FR0379. Presented at: the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2013 Annual Meeting; Oct. 4-7, 2013; Baltimore.

Disclosure: Center reports no relevant financial disclosures.