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Results from clinical trials and meta-analyses have been inconsistent regarding the efficacy of calcium in preventing fractures. Investigators expanded on previous results by conducting a systematic review of data from all randomized trials published from 1966 through 2006 that compared calcium (with or without vitamin D) and placebo in adults older than 50. They identified 29 studies involving 63,897 patients (92% women; mean age, 67.8) who were treated for an average of 3.5 years.
In an analysis of 17 trials that reported fracture as an outcome, calcium supplementation (with or without vitamin D) was associated with a significant 12% relative risk reduction in all fractures. In an analysis of 24 trials that reported bone-mineral density, c…