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A pooled analysis of vitamin D dose requirements for fracture prevention.
Bischoff-Ferrari, HA, Willett, WC, Orav, EJ, Lips, P, Meunier, PJ, Lyons, RA, Flicker, L, Wark, J, Jackson, RD, Cauley, JA, et al
The New England journal of medicine. 2012;(1):40-9
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The results of meta-analyses examining the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and fracture reduction have been inconsistent. METHODS We pooled participant-level data from 11 double-blind, randomized, controlled trials of oral vitamin D supplementation (daily, weekly, or every 4 months), with or without calcium, as compared with placebo or calcium alone in persons 65 years of age or older. Primary end points were the incidence of hip and any nonvertebral fractures according to Cox regression analyses, with adjustment for age group, sex, type of dwelling, and study. Our primary aim was to compare data from quartiles of actual intake of vitamin D (including each individual participant's adherence to the treatment and supplement use outside the study protocol) in the treatment groups of all trials with data from the control groups. RESULTS We included 31,022 persons (mean age, 76 years; 91% women) with 1111 incident hip fractures and 3770 nonvertebral fractures. Participants who were randomly assigned to receive vitamin D, as compared with those assigned to control groups, had a nonsignificant 10% reduction in the risk of hip fracture (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.01) and a 7% reduction in the risk of nonvertebral fracture (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.99). By quartiles of actual intake, reduction in the risk of fracture was shown only at the highest intake level (median, 800 IU daily; range, 792 to 2000), with a 30% reduction in the risk of hip fracture (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.86) and a 14% reduction in the risk of any nonvertebral fracture (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.96). Benefits at the highest level of vitamin D intake were fairly consistent across subgroups defined by age group, type of dwelling, baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, and additional calcium intake. CONCLUSIONS High-dose vitamin D supplementation (≥800 IU daily) was somewhat favorable in the prevention of hip fracture and any nonvertebral fracture in persons 65 years of age or older. (Funded by the Swiss National Foundations and others.).
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Effect of high-dosage cholecalciferol and extended physiotherapy on complications after hip fracture: a randomized controlled trial.
Bischoff-Ferrari, HA, Dawson-Hughes, B, Platz, A, Orav, EJ, Stähelin, HB, Willett, WC, Can, U, Egli, A, Mueller, NJ, Looser, S, et al
Archives of internal medicine. 2010;(9):813-20
Abstract
BACKGROUND Care of elderly patients after hip fracture is not well established. METHODS We enrolled 173 patients with acute hip fracture who were 65 years or older (79.2% women; mean age, 84 years; 77.4% living at home). Using a factorial design, we randomly allocated patients to extended physiotherapy (PT) (supervised 60 min/d during acute care plus an unsupervised home program) vs standard PT (supervised 30 min/d during acute care plus no home program; single-blinded), and to cholecalciferol therapy, 2000 vs 800 IU/d (double-blinded). Primary outcome was rate of falls; secondary outcome was rate of hospital readmissions during the 12-month follow-up. All analyses included 173 individuals and used multivariate Poisson regression analyses. RESULTS At baseline, 50.9% of participants had 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of less than 12 ng/mL and 97.7% of less than 30 ng/mL. We documented 212 falls and 74 hospital readmissions. Because this was a factorial design trial, all analyses tested the main effect of each treatment while controlling for the other in 173 participants. Extended vs standard PT reduced the rate of falls by 25% (95% confidence interval [CI], -44% to -1%). Cholecalciferol treatment, 2000 vs 800 IU/d, did not reduce falls (28%; 95% CI, -4% to 68%), but reduced the rate of hospital readmissions by 39% (95% CI, -62% to -1%). CONCLUSIONS Extended PT was successful in reducing falls but not hospital readmissions, whereas cholecalciferol treatment, 2000 IU/d, was successful in reducing hospital readmission but not falls. Thus, the 2 strategies may be useful together because they address 2 different and important complications after hip fracture.