Health
Supplements give limited benefits
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 6, 2006
Flying in the face of conventional wisdom, a new study found that calcium and vitamin D supplements provide only a modest benefit in preserving bone mass and preventing hip fractures in healthy postmenopausal women. The supplements also were found to be ineffective at preventing other types of fractures or colorectal cancer and were associated with an increase in kidney stones.
The findings, which were published in the Feb. 16 New England Journal of Medicine, were the results of a large clinical trial that was part of the Women's Health Initiative and included more than 36,000 women ages 50 to 79.
Despite improvements in hip bone density, the reduction in hip fractures was less than expected, the researchers said.
But women who were most conscientious about taking the supplements experienced a 29% decrease in hip fractures, and women 60 and older had a 21% reduction in broken hips, the researchers noted.
A separate study of nearly 32,000 women also found no significant association between levels of physical activity and colon cancer. That study was published online Feb. 17 in the International Journal of Cancer, the journal of the International Union Against Cancer.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/03/06/hlbf0306.htm.
