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Calcium and
Vitamin D prevent Bone Loss
Newswise — The
combination of calcium and vitamin D is more
effective than calcium alone in preventing
bone loss in elderly women, according to a
new study accepted for publication in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &
Metabolism (JCEM).
Previous studies have
shown that high calcium intake can help
prevent bone loss. This latest study,
however, demonstrated that calcium therapy,
although initially successful at preventing
bone loss, was no different from placebo
after three or five years.
“In the long term,
calcium alone loses its effectiveness in
preventing bone loss. But there is good
news,” said Dr. Richard Prince, professor at
the University of Western Australia in
Perth, Australia. “Our five-year study has
shown that a combination of calcium and
Vitamin D prevented bone loss for the
duration of the study.”
Prince and fellow
researchers evaluated the relative benefits
of five years of calcium supplementation
with or without vitamin D2 compared to
placebo on hip bone mineral density (BMD)
and bone related biochemistry in ambulatory
elderly women aged 70–80 years.
The combination of 1200
mg of calcium a day and vitamin D 1000 IU
maintained hip BMD constant for five years,
while calcium alone after three or five
years was no different than placebo.
The beneficial effect
of calcium and vitamin D is considered to be
related to reducing bone turnover, the
process of old bone constantly being
reabsorbed and replaced with new bone, and
suppressing parathyroid hormone (PTH)
concentrations in individuals with
relatively high PTH levels.
PTH is a hormone that
regulates calcium levels by taking calcium
from bones and releasing it into the blood.
Based on the results of
this study, Prince suggests that older women
increase dietary calcium to 2 grams per day
as well as replace vitamin D that would
normally be activated by sunlight,
especially if there is evidence of vitamin D
deficiency.
Other researchers
working on the study include Kun Zhu, Ian M.
Dick, and Scott G. Wilson of the University
of Western Australia in Perth, Australia;
and Amanda Devine of Edith Cowan University
in Perth, Australia.
A rapid release version
of this paper has been published on-line and
will appear in the March 2008 issue of
JCEM, a publication of The Endocrine
Society.
Founded in 1916, The
Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest,
largest, and most active organization
devoted to research on hormones, and the
clinical practice of endocrinology. Today,
The Endocrine Society’s membership consists
of over 14,000 scientists, physicians,
educators, nurses and students in more than
80 countries.
Together, these members
represent all basic, applied, and clinical
interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine
Society is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
To learn more about the Society, and the
field of endocrinology, visit our web site
at
http://www.endo-society.org.
