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 .
Alfacalcidol (alpha D3) and calcium in osteoporosis.
In a prospect i ve , r and omized study , 66 osteoporotic postmenopausal women ( mean age , 67 years ) were scheduled to receive either alfacalcidol 0.25 microgram twice daily together with calcium 500 mg twice daily ( treatment group , n = 24 ) or placebo twice daily with calcium 500 mg twice daily ( control group , n = 42 ) for three years . In the treatment group , bone mineral content at the distal radius may have increased by 2 % compared to a significant decrease of 7.8 % in the control group . The difference between the two groups was also significant . Since the dose of alfacalcidol and calcium remained unadjusted , frequent hypercalciuria , as well as occasional mild , transient elevations of serum calcium , were observed in the treatment group . No changes in serum creatinine levels or creatinine clearance throughout the study were observed . The two groups did not differ with respect to the frequency of clinical side effects , which were mainly gastrointestinal and probably related to the calcium supplementation . Alfacalcidol and calcium may prevent further bone loss in women suffering from postmenopausal osteoporosis
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 .