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A look at preventing osteoporotic fracture through vitamin D and calcium
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The general practice of taking vitamin D and calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures is starting to be looked at more closely, and new evidence is coming to light that suggests taking these dietary supplements may not help the general population build better bone health. This practice may even increase the risks of cardiovascular disease and other health problems, according to physicians who spoke with Orthopaedics Today Europe.
Karl Michaëlsson, MD, who has researched the role that vitamin D and calcium may play in bone health, said new evidence has emerged that suggests that taking vitamin D and calcium supplements may have no effect on improving bone mineral density (BMD). In fact, it may actually increase the risk of some health complications.
“It is a rather frustrating field because it is complex. There are many diverse opinions in the field, and it makes it complicated. At present, do you have a benefit from vitamin D supplements alone for the prevention of fractures? I would say no,” Michaëlsson told Orthopaedics Today Europe. “The most convincing arguments are from studies done by a New Zealand study group. They did studies of randomized clinical trials that have evaluated the effect of vitamin D, for example, on BMD. Their conclusion was it had no effect in general on BMD,” he said.
Those studies were led by Ian R. Reid, MD, of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Click here to read the full Cover Story in the July/August issue of Orthopaedics Today Europe.