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 .
Treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis with high doses of synthetic calcitriol. A randomized controlled study.
OBJECTIVE To study the efficacy of synthetic 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 ( calcitriol ) in the treatment of osteoporosis . DESIGN Two-year , double-blind , r and omized clinical trial . SETTING University medical center . PATIENTS Fifty postmenopausal women with vertebral fractures recruited by referral . INTERVENTION Calcium intake was adjusted to 25 mmol/d ( 1000 mg/d ) at baseline . Patients were then r and omized to treatment with either calcitriol or placebo . During the study , calcium intake was reduced to 15 mmol/d ( 600 mg/d ) and the dose of calcitriol was adjusted to maintain serum calcium less than 2.74 mmol/L ( less than 11.0 mg/dL ) or urine calcium less than 9.96 mmol/d ( less than 400 mg/d ) . MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS After 2 years , the mean dose of calcitriol in the treated group was 0.62 micrograms/d . Bone mineral density of the spine increased 1.94 % with calcitriol therapy and decreased 3.92 % with placebo ( P = 0.001 ) . Total body calcium increased 0.21 % with calcitriol therapy and decreased 1.85 % with placebo ( P = 0.004 ) . Patients receiving placebo had significant decreases in spine density ( P = 0.0007 ) and total body calcium ( P = 0.0004 ) . There were no differences in vertebral fracture rates between the groups . Renal function studies were not statistically different between the groups after 2 years . CONCLUSION The treatment of postmenopausal osteoporotic women with synthetic calcitriol for 2 years was associated with increases in spine density and total body calcium . No adverse effects on renal function were seen after long-term calcitriol therapy
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 .