In subgroup analyses , all cause mortality was significantly lower in trials with vitamin D3 supplementation than in trials with vitamin D2 supplementation ( P for interaction=0.04 ) ; neither vitamin D3 nor vitamin D2 was associated with a statistically significant reduction in all cause mortality .
CONCLUSIONS Vitamin D supplementation alone was not associated with  all cause mortality in adults compared with placebo or no treatment .
Vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of cancer death by 16 % .
Additional large clinical studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D3 supplementation is associated with lower all cause mortality .
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether vitamin D supplementation is associated with lower mortality in adults .
Alfacalcidol reduces the number of fallers in a community-dwelling elderly population with a minimum calcium intake of more than 500 mg daily.
OBJECTIVES To study the effect of alfacalcidol ( 1alpha(OH)D3 ) on fall risk in community-dwelling elderly men and women . DESIGN R and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled intervention trial . SETTING Basel , Switzerl and . PARTICIPANTS Three hundred seventy-eight community-dwelling elderly ( 191 women/187 men ) . INTERVENTION Participants were r and omly assigned to receive 1 microg of alfacalcidol or matched placebo daily for 36 weeks . MEASUREMENTS Serum 25-hydoxyvitamin D3 ( 25(OH ) D,1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 ( D-hormone ) , and intact parathormone ( iPTH ) levels were measured using radioimmunoassay at baseline and every 12 weeks . Numbers of fallers and falls were assessed using a question naire during each study site visit . Dietary calcium intake was assessed at baseline using a food frequency question naire . RESULTS At baseline , participants had , on average , normal vitamin D and D-hormone serum levels . Over 36 weeks , alfacalcidol treatment was associated with fewer fallers ( odds ratio (OR)=0.69 , 95 % confidence interval (CI)=0.41 - 1.16 ) than placebo . In a post hoc subgroups analysis by medians of total calcium intake , this reduction reached significance in alfacalcidol-treated subjects with a total calcium intake of more than 512 mg/d ( OR=0.45 , 95 % CI=0.21 - 0.97 , P=.042 ) but not in those who consumed less than 512 mg/d ( OR=1.00 , 95 % CI= 0.47 - 2.11 , P=.998 ) . Alfacalcidol treatment was also , independent of total calcium intake , associated with a significant 37.9 % reduction in iPTH serum levels ( P<.0001 ) . No cases of clinical ly relevant hypercalcemia were observed . CONCLUSION Provided a minimal calcium intake of more than 512 mg/d , alfacalcidol treatment significantly and safely reduces number of fallers in an elderly community dwelling population
In subgroup analyses , all cause mortality was significantly lower in trials with vitamin D3 supplementation than in trials with vitamin D2 supplementation ( P for interaction=0.04 ) ; neither vitamin D3 nor vitamin D2 was associated with a statistically significant reduction in all cause mortality .
CONCLUSIONS Vitamin D supplementation alone was not associated with  all cause mortality in adults compared with placebo or no treatment .
Vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of cancer death by 16 % .
Additional large clinical studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D3 supplementation is associated with lower all cause mortality .
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether vitamin D supplementation is associated with lower mortality in adults .