Calcium Supplements Linked to Lower Fracture Risk in Older Adults

Calcium supplementation lowers fracture risk among older adults, according to a meta-analysis published in Lancet.
>Data were extracted from 29 placebo-controlled trials of calcium supplementation (with or without vitamin D) that enrolled people aged 50 or older.
Seventeen trials reporting fracture as an endpoint found a 12% reduction in risk with calcium or calcium plus vitamin D. The treatment effect was largest among adults older than 70, as well as for calcium doses of 1200 mg or more, or vitamin D doses of 800 IU or more. In 24 trials reporting on bone mineral density, supplementation was associated with a significant reduction in bone loss at the hip and spine.
The authors say that to prevent one fracture, 63 patients would need to receive calcium supplements for 3.5 years — making calcium "comparable to other preventive treatments such as statins." To prevent one fracture among "elderly" adults, they note, the NNT dropped to 30 or fewer.