Vitamin D does not prevent fractures and falls
Many prominent bodies have recommended vitamin D supplementation in largely well people for the prevention of fractures. In 2016, the Public Health England advised everyone should consider taking a daily supplement of vitamin D in autumn and winter ‘to help keep healthy bones, teeth and muscles’. Whether this recommendation is correct, however, it has been unclear. That is until now.
A review by the US Preventive Services Task Force concluded that vitamin D, calcium and combined supplementation should not routinely be recommended for primary fracture prevention. Neither the Institute of Medicine nor WHO has made recommendations for fracture prevention, apart from those with a history of osteoporotic fractures, osteoporosis or vitamin D deficiency.
Effects of vitamin D supplementation on musculoskeletal health: a systematic review, meta- analysis, and trial sequential analysis. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2018;6(11):847–58. The review identified 81 trials with 53 537 participants (42 trials reported fracture, 37 falls and 41 bone mineral density).
They found that vitamin D supplementation did not affect total fractures (relative risk [RR] 1.00, 95%CI 0.93 to 1.07), hip fracture (RR 1.11, 0.97 to 1.26) or falls (RR 0.97, 0.93 to 1.02). Supplementation also did not have a clinically
They found that vitamin D supplementation did not affect total fractures (relative risk [RR] 1.00, 95%CI 0.93 to 1.07), hip fracture (RR 1.11, 0.97 to 1.26) or falls (RR 0.97, 0.93 to 1.02). Supplementation also did not have a clinically.
The authors also state that further trials are also unlikely to alter the conclusions.
