BMJ  2005;331:108 (9 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7508.108

Letter

Calcium and vitamin D in preventing fractures

Vitamin K supplementation has powerful effect

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Porthouse et al conducted a good randomised controlled trial of calcium and supplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃) for prevention of fractures in primary care.¹ However, vitamin D and calcium are not enough.

No mention was made of the extensive research from Japan and the Netherlands, which shows that vitamin K supplementation has a powerful effect in decreasing osteoporosis and osteoporosis related fractures. Combining vitamin K, vitamin D, and calcium seems ideal.

Researchers from Osaka Medical College showed that vitamin K and vitamin D together increased bone density much better than vitamin K alone.²

When comparing calcium and vitamin D alone with placebo, researchers at the University of Maastricht found little benefit on bone loss. But those randomised to take vitamin K in addition to calcium and vitamin D had significantly less femoral neck bone loss after three years.³

The Yamaguchi osteoporosis prevention study showed . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Randomised controlled trial of calcium and supplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃) for prevention of fractures in primary care

Jill Porthouse, Sarah Cockayne, Christine King, Lucy Saxon, Elizabeth Steele, Terry Aspray, Mike Baverstock, Yvonne Birks, Jo Dumville, Roger Francis, Cynthia Iglesias, Suezann Puffer, Anne Sutcliffe, Ian Watt, and David J Torgerson
BMJ 2005 330: 1003. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]