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 .
Should older people in residential care receive vitamin D to prevent falls? Results of a randomized trial.
OBJECTIVES To determine whether vitamin D supplementation can reduce the incidence of falls and fractures in older people in residential care who are not classically vitamin D deficient . DESIGN R and omized , placebo-controlled double-blind , trial of 2 years ' duration . SETTING Multicenter study in 60 hostels ( assisted living facilities ) and 89 nursing homes across Australia . PARTICIPANTS Six hundred twenty-five residents ( mean age 83.4 ) with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between 25 and 90 nmol/L. INTERVENTION Vitamin D supplementation ( ergocalciferol , initially 10,000 IU given once weekly and then 1,000 IU daily ) or placebo for 2 years . All subjects received 600 mg of elemental calcium daily as calcium carbonate . MEASUREMENTS Falls and fractures recorded prospect ively in study diaries by care staff . RESULTS The vitamin D and placebo groups had similar baseline characteristics . In intention-to-treat analysis , the incident rate ratio for falling was 0.73 ( 95 % confidence interval (CI)=0.57 - 0.95 ) . The odds ratio for ever falling was 0.82 ( 95 % CI=0.59 - 1.12 ) and for ever fracturing was 0.69 ( 95 % CI=0.40 - 1.18 ) . An a priori subgroup analysis of subjects who took at least half the prescribed capsules ( n=540 ) , demonstrated an incident rate ratio for falls of 0.63 ( 95 % CI=0.48 - 0.82 ) , an odds ratio ( OR ) for ever falling of 0.70 ( 95 % CI=0.50 - 0.99 ) , and an OR for ever fracturing of 0.68 ( 95 % CI=0.38 - 1.22 ) . CONCLUSION Older people in residential care can reduce their incidence of falls if they take a vitamin D supplement for 2 years even if they are not initially classically vitamin D deficient
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 .