Popping the calcium or vitamin D pill for better bones as you grow older may not have any actual impact.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has concluded after analysing the results of 33 randomised trials that looked at whether incidence of hip fractures was affected by these supplements found results on the contrary.
“In this meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, the use of supplements that included calcium, vitamin D, or both compared with placebo or no treatment was not associated with a lower risk of fractures among community-dwelling older adults. These findings do not support the routine use of these supplements in community-dwelling older people,” the study conducted by researchers at the Tianjin Hospital in China concluded.
The increased social and economic burdens for osteoporosis-related fractures worldwide make the prevention of such injuries a major public health goal. Women are particularly prone to osteoporosis a condition that leads to brittle bones and proneness to fractures.
According to a 2015 study in the International Journal of Women’s health, of the 230 million Indians expected to be over the age of 50 years that year, 20%, ie, ~46 million, were women with osteoporosis. “Thus, osteoporosis is a major public health problem in Indian women. Low calcium intakes with extensive prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, increasing longevity, sex inequality, early menopause, genetic predisposition, lack of diagnostic facilities, and poor knowledge of bone health have contributed toward the high prevalence of osteoporosis. Bone health may be optimized by creating an environment to achieve peak bone mass during adolescence, maintenance of healthy bone throughout the life cycle, and prevention of bone loss postmenopausal,” the article said.
