Vitamin D supplements fail to lower risk of fractures in midlife and among elderly: NEJM

USA: Vitamin D supplements are being widely used for bone health in general population but there is an inconsistent data on whether they prevent fractures. Working on the same lines, Meryl S. LeBoff, and colleagues in a new study found that Vitamin D3 supplementation did not significantly reduce the risk of fractures than placebo in generally healthy midlife and older adults.

In an ancillary study of the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), the researchers tested whether supplemental vitamin D3 lowers the risk of fractures than placebo in their research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

VITAL was a two-by-two factorial, randomized, controlled trial that examined whether supplemental vitamin D3 (2000 IU per day), n−3 fatty acids (1 g per day), or both would prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer in men aged 50 years or older and women aged 55 years or older in the US. The recruitment of the particionats was done on the basis of vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, or low bone mass. Using annual questionnaires, incident fractures reported by participants was noted and adjudicated by centralized medical-record review.