Vitamin D and calcium are often used as a dietary supplement in the elderly to prevent fractures. A new study shows their uselessness.
Falls always worry those around the elderly. The risk of fractures is more frequent in this population. They are sometimes advised to increase their intake of vitamin D and calcium. Vitamin D indeed allows calcium to bind to the bones, any deficiency therefore causes weakening.
However, researchers have shown that dietary supplements based on calcium and / or vitamin D, used systematically, had no effect on reducing fractures in the elderly. The results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
An analysis of more than 51,000 patients
Scientists performed a meta-analysis of 33 clinical studies performed on more than 51,000 patients. These people were at least fifty years old. Some of them were taking vitamin D, others were taking calcium or a combination of the two, some were taking only placebo, and some were not taking anything at all.
Researchers have found no positive effect of vitamin D or calcium on the risk of hip fracture. The combination of these two food supplements had no effect either. Vertebral and non-vertebral fractures were also not less common for patients taking the supplements.
This study calls into question the systematic use of vitamin D and calcium in preventing fractures in the elderly, and calls into question its daily consumption by this population.
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