Vitamin D may Help to Prevent Fractures

CAMBRIDGE, England (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Men and women age 65 and older can benefit from taking vitamin D supplements, finds a study in this weeks' British Medical Journal.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine evaluated more than 2,000 men and nearly 650 women 65 to 85 years old to determine if vitamin D could reduce their risk for factures. Participants were sent one capsule containing 100,000 IU of vitamin D3 or a placebo every four months. They received either the vitamin supplement or the placebo for five years (a total of 15 doses.) Researchers asked participants to take the capsule immediately upon receiving it and to complete a questionnaire of events such as a fracture or major illness.

Researchers found participants who received vitamin D supplements had a 22-percent reduction in first time fractures of any site and a 33-percent reduction for fractures occurring in an osteoporotic location. Locations prone to osteoporotic factures include the hip, wrist, forearm, and back.

Authors write, "Many interventions effective in high-risk groups are not feasible in the general population owing to poor compliance or side effects or are not cost-effective. In contrast, the cost of four monthly oral 100,000 IU vitamin D is minimal."

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SOURCE: British Medical Journal, 2003;326:469-472