Calcium supplementation does not increase mortality

Bolland, Mark J; Grey, Andrew B; Reid, Ian R

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01909.x

Topics

To the Editor: We believe that Tang and Nordin1 misunderstood the findings of our recent study of calcium supplementation.2

Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Correspondence: m.bolland@auckland.ac.nz

1. Tang BMP, Nordin BEC. Calcium supplementation does not increase mortality [letter]. Med J Aust 2008; 188: 547. <MJA full text>
2. Bolland MJ, Barber PA, Doughty RN, et al. Vascular events in healthy older women receiving calcium supplementation: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2008; 336: 262-266.
3. Harwood RH, Sahota O, Gaynor K, et al. A randomised, controlled comparison of different calcium and vitamin D supplementation regimens in elderly women after hip fracture: the Nottingham Neck of Femur (NoNOF) Study. Age Ageing 2004; 33: 45-51.
4. Grant AM, Avenell A, Campbell MK, et al. Oral vitamin D3 and calcium for secondary prevention of low-trauma fractures in elderly people (Randomised Evaluation of Calcium Or vitamin D, RECORD): a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2005; 365: 1621-1628.
5. Prince RL, Devine A, Dhaliwal SS, et al. Effects of calcium supplementation on clinical fracture and bone structure: results of a 5-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in elderly women. Arch Intern Med 2006; 166: 869-875.
6. Baron JA, Beach M, Mandel JS, et al; The Calcium Polyp Prevention Study Group. Calcium supplements for the prevention of colorectal adenomas. N Engl J Med 1999; 340: 101-107.
7. Tang BMP, Eslick GD, Nowson C, et al. Use of calcium or calcium in combination with vitamin D supplementation to prevent fractures and bone loss in people aged 50 years and older: a meta-analysis. Lancet 2007; 370: 657-666.
8. Freyschuss B, Ljunggren O, Saaf M, et al. Calcium and vitamin D for prevention of osteoporotic fractures. Lancet 2007; 370: 2098-2099; author reply 2099.
9. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Dawson-Hughes B, Baron JA, et al. Calcium intake and hip fracture risk in men and women: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 86: 1780-1790.
10. Reid IR, Bolland MJ, Grey A. Effect of calcium supplementation on hip fractures. Osteoporos Int 2008; 20 Feb [Epub ahead of print].
11. Cumming RG, Cummings SR, Nevitt MC, et al. Calcium intake and fracture risk: results from the study of osteoporotic fractures. Am J Epidemiol 1997; 145: 926-934.

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