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 .
Comparison of daily, weekly, and monthly vitamin D3 in ethanol dosing protocols for two months in elderly hip fracture patients.
BACKGROUND Different dosing protocol s have been used for vitamin D supplementation , but there has been a lack of comparative data among them . OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine whether the same cumulative dose of vitamin D3 produces different effects if it is given daily , weekly , or monthly . DESIGN Women , age 81 + /- 8 yr ( + /- sd , n = 48 ) , who had undergone surgery to repair hip fracture were r and omized to vitamin D3-supplementation protocol s at 1,500 IU daily , or 10,500 IU once weekly , or 45,000 IU once every 28 d. The primary outcome measure was the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [ 25(OH)D ] concentration attained . RESULTS Initially , serum 25(OH)D concentrations for daily , weekly , and monthly groups were , respectively , 15.13 + /- 6.9 , 15.7 + /- 10.1 , and 16.2 + /- 10.1 ng/ml . By d 7 , these had increased significantly in all the groups ( P < 0.001 ) . On the first day after the monthly dose , both serum 25(OH)D and serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D had increased significantly ( P < 0.012 each ) , whereas these did not change significantly on the day after daily or weekly doses . After 2 months , serum 25(OH)D with daily , weekly , and monthly dosing were , respectively , 33.2 + /- 8.5 , 29.2 + /- 8.9 , and 37.1 + /- 10.3 ng/ml ; there were no significant differences among these values . CONCLUSIONS Supplementation with vitamin D can be achieved equally well with daily , weekly , or monthly dosing frequencies . Therefore , the choice of dose frequency can be based on whichever approach will optimize an individual 's adherence with long-term vitamin D supplementation
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 .