A new study finds that vitamin D supplements along with calcium reduce the risk of falling among older women. This follows two reports that concluded older women do not benefit greatly from supplements and calcium.
The latest study, whose findings appear in the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed 199 men and 246 women 65 or older who took either vitamin D and calcium daily, or a placebo, over three years. Among women, a vitamin D and calcium combination reduced the risk of falls by 46%. No significant reduction was seen in men.
Last month, A study of postmenopausal women over age 50 found that those who took vitamin D supplements achieved a small but significant improvement in hip bone density but no major reduction in their risk of hip fracture until they reached their 60s. Another study found that daily calcium plus vitamin D had no effect whatsoever on colorectal cancer risk in the same group of women. The studies appeared in the Feb. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
