Study Finds Vitamin D Supplements Do Not Reduce Risk of Broken Bones

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A new review finds that vitamin D3 supplements (2000 IU/day) do not minimize complete, non-vertebral, or hip fractures, nor was any result observed on key osteoporotic fractures, wrist fractures, or pelvic fractures.

Vitamin D dietary supplements are widely approved and applied to gain bone health. Even so, definitive knowledge on no matter whether these health supplements really lessen bone fractures in the typical population have been inconsistent.

To strengthen scientific understanding of this issue, a group of scientists from Brigham and Women’s Medical center performed an ancillary study to the VITamin D and OmegA-3 Demo (Vital), a clinical demo of more than 25,000 adults, also led by investigators from the Brigham. A full of 1,991 incident fractures in 1,551 contributors have been confirmed in excess of a median adhere to-up of 5.3 several years.

“Overall, the outcomes from this substantial medical demo do not support the use of vitamin D supplements to decrease fractures in typically nutritious U.S. adult men and women.” — Meryl LeBoff, MD

According to the results, supplemental vitamin D3 (2000 IU/working day) did not decrease complete, non-vertebral, or hip fractures compared to placebo. On top of that, there had been no consequences of supplemental vitamin D3 on main osteoporotic fractures, wrist fractures, or pelvic fractures. In the evaluation, effects were being not modified by baseline age, intercourse, race, human body mass index, baseline vitamin D blood stages, and own use of supplemental calcium and/or vitamin D.

“Overall, the success from this significant medical demo do not assist the use of vitamin D supplements to reduce fractures in generally healthful U.S. males and women of all ages,” claimed direct author Meryl LeBoff, MD, Main of the Calcium and Bone Portion in the Endocrine Division at the Brigham.

“These results do not apply to older people with vitamin D deficiency or lower bone mass or osteoporosis. Most contributors in the demo were not deficient and may well have previously reached the vitamin D level necessary for bone wellness. Our ongoing experiments are concentrating on whether free of charge vitamin D amounts or genetic variation in vitamin D absorption, metabolism, or receptor purpose will supply data about men and women who may perhaps benefit from supplemental vitamin D on musculoskeletal overall health.”

“Although Essential was at first intended to seem at cardiovascular and cancer outcomes, this is a excellent example of how it has drop gentle on wellbeing results significantly beyond its authentic plans,” mentioned JoAnn Manson, MD, co-author and chief of the Division of Preventive Drugs at the Brigham.

Reference: “Supplemental Vitamin D and Incident Fractures in Midlife and Older Adults” by Meryl S. LeBoff, M.D., Sharon H. Chou, M.D., Kristin A. Ratliff, B.A., Nancy R. Cook dinner, Sc.D., Bharti Khurana, M.D., Eunjung Kim, M.S., Peggy M. Cawthon, Ph.D., M.P.H., Douglas C. Bauer, M.D., Dennis Black, Ph.D., J. Chris Gallagher, M.D., I-Min Lee, M.B., B.S., Sc.D., Julie E. Buring, Sc.D., and JoAnn E. Manson, M.D., Dr.P.H., 28 July 2022, New England Journal of Drugs.
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2202106

Funding: NIH/Countrywide Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Pores and skin Illnesses