Research paper
Vitamin D Supplementation and Fracture Incidence in Elderly Persons
Study answer
What this study found
Daily vitamin D3 did not reduce hip fractures or other peripheral fractures in this Dutch elderly population. In the intention-to-treat analysis, hip fractures occurred in 58 vitamin D participants versus 48 placebo participants (P = 0.39; HRR 1.18, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.71), and other peripheral fractures occurred in 77 versus 74 (P = 0.86; HRR 1.03, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.40). Mortality was also not significantly different, with 282 deaths in the vitamin D group versus 306 in placebo (P = 0.20). Subgroup analyses in apartment house or home residents and in adults aged 80 years or older were similarly…
- Study & population
- Elderly men and women aged 70 years and older were recruited in Amsterdam and surrounding areas from general practitioners, apartment houses, and homes for the elderly.
- Intervention
- Vitamin D3 400 IU was given orally as one tablet daily for 3 to 3.5 years, with follow-up extending up to 4 years.
- Key limitation
- Follow-up was limited to a median of 3.5 years, with a maximum of 4 years, which may have constrained the ability to detect longer-term fracture effects.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Vitamin D deficiency is common in elderly persons, especially those with hip fracture [1, 2]. It is caused by low exposure to sunshine, decreased synthesis of vitamin D3 in the aging skin, and a diet low in vitamin D [3, 4]. The mean vitamin D intake…