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Vitamin D + Calcium Reduces Deaths Among Seniors

Large-scale study reports that dietary supplementation of vitamin D plus calcium reduces mortality in the older population.

In the largest study ever performed on effects of calcium and vitamin D on mortality, Lars Rejnmark, from Aarhus University Hospital (Denmark) utilized pooled data from eight randomized controlled trials involving over 1,000 participants, median age 70 years, each.  During the three-year study, death was reduced by 9% in those treated with vitamin D with calcium, with the reduced mortality not solely due to a lower number of fractures, but represents a beneficial effect beyond the reduced fracture risk. The lead author observed that: “we found that calcium with vitamin D supplementation to elderly participants is overall not harmful to survival, and may have beneficial effects on general health.”

Lars Rejnmark, Alison Avenell, Tahir Masud, Frazer Anderson, Haakon E. Meyer, Bo Abrahamsen, et al.  “Vitamin D with Calcium Reduces Mortality: Patient Level Pooled Analysis of 70,528 Patients from Eight Major Vitamin D Trials.” JCEM, May 17, 2012 jc.2011-3328.

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