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 .
DIETARY CALCIUM AND RISK OF HIP FRACTURE: 14-YEAR PROSPECTIVE POPULATION STUDY
To assess the effect of dietary calcium intake on risk of hip fracture  , a geographically defined caucasian population in southern California was studied prospect ively . Between 1973 and 1975 , a quantified 24 hour diet recall was obtained by a dietician from 957 men and women aged 50 to 79 years at baseline . Follow-up to 1987 with mortality records and interviews showed 15 men and 18 women with hip fractures . The age-adjusted risk of hip fracture was inversely associated with dietary calcium whether considered as mg per day or as nutrient density ( mg per 1000 kcal ) . No other nutrient was consistently associated with hip fracture in any Cox proportional hazards model that included calcium . The association between  calcium  and fracture persisted after adjustment for cigarette smoking , alcohol intake , exercise , and obesity . The significant independent inverse association of  dietary calcium  with subsequent risk of hip fracture ( relative risk = 0.6 per 198 mg/1000 kcal ) strongly supports the hypothesis that increased dietary calcium intake protects against hip fracture
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 .