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 .
A higher dose of vitamin d reduces the risk of falls in nursing home residents: a randomized, multiple-dose study.
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of four vitamin D supplement doses on falls risk in elderly nursing home residents . DESIGN Secondary data analysis of a previously conducted r and omized clinical trial . SETTING Seven hundred twenty-five-bed long-term care facility . PARTICIPANTS One hundred twenty-four nursing home residents ( average age 89 ) . INTERVENTION Participants were r and omly assigned to receive one of four vitamin D supplement doses ( 200 IU , 400 IU , 600 IU , or 800 IU ) or placebo daily for 5 months . MEASUREMENTS Number of fallers and number of falls assessed using facility incident tracking data base . RESULTS Over the 5-month study period , the proportion of participants with falls was 44 % in the placebo group ( 11/25 ) , 58 % ( 15/26 ) in the 200 IU group , 60 % ( 15/25 ) in the 400 IU group , 60 % ( 15/25 ) in the 600 IU group , and 20 % ( 5/23 ) in the 800 IU group . Participants in the 800 IU group had a 72 % lower adjusted-incidence rate ratio of falls than those taking placebo over the 5 months ( rate ratio=0.28 ; 95 % confidence interval=0.11 - 0.75 ) . No significant differences were observed for the adjusted fall rates compared to placebo in any of the other supplement groups . CONCLUSION Nursing home residents in the highest vitamin D group ( 800 IU ) had a lower number of fallers and a lower incidence rate of falls over 5 months than those taking lower doses . Adequate vitamin D supplementation in elderly nursing home residents could reduce the number of falls experienced by this high falls risk group
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 .