Millions of people take daily vitamins to keep their bones strong and avoid falls. But a huge new analysis questions whether these common supplements actually work for everyone. Researchers looked at data from more than 153,000 community-dwelling adults who were not already on treatment for osteoporosis. They found that taking calcium alone or vitamin D alone had little to no effect on preventing any kind of fracture. Even taking both together showed little benefit for most people in the study.
The study involved people living in the community who were not at high risk for breaking bones or falling. The evidence was strongest for vitamin D and the combined supplements, showing high certainty that they did not reduce fracture risk. For calcium alone, the certainty was moderate. The results apply to the general adult population but not necessarily to those in residential care or at very high risk.
Safety signals were not reported in the data provided. The review authors note that evidence for high-risk patients or those needing residential care was limited. This means the findings might not apply to everyone. Based on the numbers, the review concludes there is little to no benefit from these supplements for preventing fractures and falls in the groups studied.
