Vitamin D Controversy Is Focus of Free Webinar
On Thursday, December 10, 2015, from 6:00 to 6:30pm EDT, the Own the Bone initiative will offer a free webinar titled “Vitamin D in Chaos: A Common Sense Approach for Orthopaedics.”
Neil C. Binkley, MD, from the University of Wisconsin will review the physiology of vitamin D, current approaches to 25(OH)D testing, and recommendations for treatment of those whose levels are low. Defining “low” vitamin D status remains extremely controversial, but many fracture patients have vitamin D inadequacy that may contribute to low bone mass and fragility fracture risk.
The American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) developed Own the Bone as a quality improvement program to address the osteoporosis treatment gap and prevent subsequent fragility fractures.
Increased Calcium Intake Neither Boosts BMD nor Reduces Fracture Risk
In two separate studies published recently in the BMJ, New Zealand researchers concluded that increased calcium intake, through diet or supplements, is unlikely to have clinically meaningful effects on bone density or fracture prevention. The findings call into question recommendations from most health care professionals for daily calcium intake of at least 1,000 to 1,200 mg in older adults.
The first study reviewed 59 randomized controlled trials (nearly 14,000 patients total) that examined the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and either dietary or supplemental sources of calcium. Increases in BMD ranged from only 0.6% to 1.8% with increased calcium intake, regardless of the source and whether calcium was taken with vitamin D. The authors concluded that these small BMD effects were “unlikely to translate into clinically meaningful reductions in fractures.”
The second study reviewed 28 randomized trials and 44 observational studies (more than 58.000 patients total) that examined the relationship between increased calcium intake and fracture prevention among people older than 50 years. The analysis found that calcium supplements have “small inconsistent benefits on fracture prevention” but that overall “there is currently no evidence that increasing calcium intake prevents fractures.”
What do you make of these findings? Please comment by clicking on the “Leave a comment” button in the box next to the title.
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