There is high quality evidence that vitamin D plus calcium is associated with a statistically significant reduction in incidence of new non-vertebral fractures .
Vitamin D alone is unlikely to prevent fractures in the doses and formulations tested so far in older people .
Supplements of vitamin D and calcium may prevent hip or any type of fracture .
There was a small but significant increase in gastrointestinal symptoms and renal disease associated with vitamin D and calcium .
This review found that there was no increased risk of death from taking calcium and vitamin
BACKGROUND Vitamin D and related compounds have been used to prevent  osteoporotic fractures in older people .
This is the third up date of a Cochrane review first published in 1996 .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of vitamin D or related compounds , with or without calcium , for preventing  fractures in post-menopausal women and older men .
Calcium and vitamin d supplementation in postmenopausal women.
CONTEXT Bone health is influenced by the intake of both calcium and vitamin D. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to evaluate the influence of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on PTH and bone turnover . SETTING , PATIENTS , AND DESIGN : At an ambulatory research center , 159 postmenopausal healthy white women participated in this double-blind , placebo-controlled parallel , longitudinal factorial study that was 6 months in duration . INTERVENTIONS Subjects were r and omly allocated to 4 groups : 1 ) double placebo , 2 ) calcium ( 1200 mg daily ) plus placebo , 3 ) vitamin D3 ( 100 μg ) plus placebo , and 4 ) vitamin D3 and calcium . Serum and urine were collected fasting and 2 hours after a calcium load at baseline and at 3 and 6 months . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Serum PTH , cross-linked C-telopeptide ( CTX ) , and procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide ( P1NP ) were measured . RESULTS Before study medication , a calcium load result ed in a decline in PTH and CTX and an increase in urinary calcium excretion . Serum CTX and P1NP declined over time with calcium supplementation but did not change with increased vitamin D intake . There was a decline in PTH in the vitamin D groups in the fasting state compared with placebo . Suppression of PTH was greater after a calcium load in the vitamin D groups . A calcium load decreased PTH and CTX and raised urinary calcium . CONCLUSIONS Fasting PTH  declines with vitamin D supplementation . PTH declines after calcium intake . Supplementation of the diet with 1200 mg calcium/d reduces bone turnover markers , whereas supplementation with up to100 μg vitamin D3/d does not
There is high quality evidence that vitamin D plus calcium is associated with a statistically significant reduction in incidence of new non-vertebral fractures .
Vitamin D alone is unlikely to prevent fractures in the doses and formulations tested so far in older people .
Supplements of vitamin D and calcium may prevent hip or any type of fracture .
There was a small but significant increase in gastrointestinal symptoms and renal disease associated with vitamin D and calcium .
This review found that there was no increased risk of death from taking calcium and vitamin
BACKGROUND Vitamin D and related compounds have been used to prevent  osteoporotic fractures in older people .
This is the third up date of a Cochrane review first published in 1996 .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of vitamin D or related compounds , with or without calcium , for preventing  fractures in post-menopausal women and older men .