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 .
Falls prevention in residential care homes: a randomised controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE to determine the effect of risk factor modification and balance exercise on falls rates in residential care homes . DESIGN cluster r and omised controlled trial . PARTICIPANTS 196 residents ( aged 60 years or over ) in 20 residential care homes were enrolled ( 38 % response rate ) . Homes were r and omly allocated to intervention and control arms . A total of 102 residents were consigned to the intervention arm and 94 to the control arm . INTERVENTION a multifactorial falls prevention programme including 3 months gait and balance training , medication review , podiatry and optometry . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES number of falls/recurrent falls per person , number of medications per person , and change in Tinetti gait and balance measure . RESULTS in the intervention group there was a mean of 2.2 falls per resident per year compared with 4.0 in the control group ; this failed to reach statistical significance ( P = 0.2 ) once the intra-cluster correlation ( ICC , 0.10 ) had been accounted for . Several risk factors were reduced in the intervention arm . CONCLUSIONS falls risk factor reduction is possible in residents of care homes . A modest reduction in falls rates was demonstrated but this failed to reach statistical significance
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 .