Vitamin D lowers bone-fracture risk only at high doses
If you’re wondering whether to take a vitamin D supplement to keep your bones healthy, it’s understandable if you – and even your doctor – are at a loss.
Vitamin D is essential for bone health, but the research on supplements has been inconsistent. Some studies have concluded that vitamin D supplements can lower the risk of bone fractures, while others suggest the pills provide little to no benefit.
The latest study on the topic, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, may help clear up some of the confusion.
The study, a re-analysis of data from 11 clinical trials comprising more than 31,000 people age 65 and older, found that vitamin D supplements – which are often combined with calcium supplements – are associated with a lower risk of bone fracture only when taken at high doses.
Overall, 4% of the study participants fractured their hip during the studies, and 12% fractured a bone elsewhere in their body (not including vertebrae).
Taking less than about 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day, with or without calcium, had no effect on bone-fracture risk when compared with taking a placebo or a calcium supplement alone. Taking 800 IU or more, by contrast, decreased the risk of hip fracture by 30% and the risk of other bone fractures by 14%.
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