Calcium was more effective than placebo in reducing rates of bone loss after two or more years of treatment .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS Calcium supplementation alone has a small positive effect on bone density .
The data show a trend toward reduction in vertebral fractures , but it is unclear if calcium reduces the incidence of non vertebral fractures
BACKGROUND Although calcium is one the simplest and least expensive strategies for preventing osteoporotic fractures calcium supplementation is nevertheless not without controversy ( Kanis 1989 ; Nordin 1990 ) .
The Food and Drug Administration in the US has permitted a bone health cl aim for calcium-rich foods , and the NIH in its Consensus Development Process approved a statement that high calcium intake reduces the risk of osteoporosis .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of calcium on bone density and fractures in postmenopausal women .
Effect of calcium supplementation on forearm bone mineral content in postmenopausal women: a prospective, sequential controlled trial.
Three hundred ten normal postmenopausal volunteers were invited to enter a controlled trial of the effects of calcium supplementation on forearm mineral content ( FMC ) ; 269 entered the study and 210 completed it . Of those who completed the study , 158 were allocated to one of three calcium-supplemented treatment regimes and 52 were allocated to a control group . Twenty-two of the subjects allocated to the treatment group were unable to take supplementary calcium but agreed to remain in the study as additional controls . There were therefore 136 treated subjects , 52 strict controls and 74 controls altogether . During the initial observation period of 9 mo , there was a highly significant loss of bone in all groups ( P less than 0.001 ) . During the 9-mo period of treatment , there was a highly significant reduction in the rate of bone loss in the treated subjects ( P less than 0.001 ) , a just significant reduction in the strict controls ( P less than 0.05 ) and a nonsignificant reduction in the rate of loss in all controls . The difference between the treated and strict controls in the second period was not significant but the difference between the treated and all controls in the second period was significant ( P less than 0.025 ) . When the analysis was applied only to women within 10 yr of menopause , the difference between the treated and strict control groups in period 2 was significant ( P less than 0.025 ) and the difference between the treated and all controls was highly significant ( P less than 0.001 )
Calcium was more effective than placebo in reducing rates of bone loss after two or more years of treatment .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS Calcium supplementation alone has a small positive effect on bone density .
The data show a trend toward reduction in vertebral fractures , but it is unclear if calcium reduces the incidence of non vertebral fractures
BACKGROUND Although calcium is one the simplest and least expensive strategies for preventing osteoporotic fractures calcium supplementation is nevertheless not without controversy ( Kanis 1989 ; Nordin 1990 ) .
The Food and Drug Administration in the US has permitted a bone health cl aim for calcium-rich foods , and the NIH in its Consensus Development Process approved a statement that high calcium intake reduces the risk of osteoporosis .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of calcium on bone density and fractures in postmenopausal women .