VITAMIN D FOR OSTEOPOROSIS
To evaluate the benefits and harms of calcium and vitamin D supplementation, alone or in combination, to increase the BMD, reduce fractures, and report the potential adverse events in healthy premenopausal women compared to placebo.
Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Population
- Number of patients studied: 941
- Inclusion criteria: Healthy premenopausal women with or without calcium or vitamin D deficiency, supplementation of calcium or vitamin D (or both) at any dose and by any route of administration for at least three months
- Exclusion criteria: Non-randomized controlled trials, duplicate publications, and trials not reporting primary or secondary outcomes of interest
Interventions
- Experimental group: Calcium supplementation, vitamin D supplementation, calcium plus vitamin D supplementation
- Control group: Placebo
Primary outcome: Total hip bone mineral density (BMD) and lumbar spine BMD
RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.19; moderate‐certainty evidence
- No significant difference in primary outcomes
Safety outcomes or Adverse Events: Withdrawals due to adverse events, serious adverse events, all reported adverse events, and additional withdrawals for any reason
Conclusion
The study does not support the isolated or combined use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in healthy premenopausal women as a public health intervention to improve BMD in the total hip or lumbar spine, and therefore it is unlikely to have a benefit for the prevention of fractures (vertebral and non‐vertebral)
Source: López‐Cortés, A., Riera‐Monserrat, M., & Martínez‐Beltrán, J. (2022). Calcium and vitamin D for improving bone mineral density in healthy premenopausal women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD013736. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013736.pub2.