CONCLUSIONS Dietary calcium intake is not associated with risk of fracture , and there is no clinical trial evidence that increasing calcium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures .
OBJECTIVE To examine the evidence underpinning recommendations to increase calcium intake through dietary sources or calcium supplements to prevent fractures .
Effect of calcium supplementation on fracture risk: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND The effect of supplementation with calcium alone on risk fractures in a healthy population is not clear . OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine whether 4 y of calcium supplementation would reduce the fracture risk during treatment and subsequent follow-up in a r and omized placebo-controlled trial . DESIGN The participants were aged < 80 y at study entry ( mean age : 61 y ) , were generally healthy , and had a recent diagnosis of colorectal adenoma . A total of 930 participants ( 72 % men ; mean age : 61 y ) were r and omly assigned to receive 4 y of treatment with 3 g CaCO(3 ) ( 1200 mg elemental Ca ) daily or placebo and were followed for a mean of 10.8 y. The primary outcomes of this analysis were all fractures and minimal trauma fractures ( caused by a fall from st and ing height or lower while sitting , st and ing , or walking ) . RESULTS There were 46  fractures  ( 15 from minimal trauma ) in 464 participants in the calcium group and 54 ( 29 from minimal trauma ) in 466 participants in the placebo group . The overall risk of fracture differed significantly between groups during the treatment phase [ hazard ratio ( HR ) : 0.28 ; 95 % CI : 0.09 , 0.85 ] , but not during the subsequent posttreatment follow-up ( HR : 1.10 ; 95 % CI : 0.71 , 1.69 ) . Minimal trauma fractures were also less frequent in the calcium group during treatment ( HR : 0 ; 95 % CI : 0 , 0.50 ) . CONCLUSION Calcium supplementation reduced the risk of all fractures and of minimal trauma fractures among healthy individuals . The benefit appeared to dissipate after treatment was stopped . This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT00153816
CONCLUSIONS Dietary calcium intake is not associated with risk of fracture , and there is no clinical trial evidence that increasing calcium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures .
OBJECTIVE To examine the evidence underpinning recommendations to increase calcium intake through dietary sources or calcium supplements to prevent fractures .