US Pharm. 2012;37(7):6.
Rockville, MD—In a recent draft recommendation, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concluded that daily supplementation with low levels of vitamin D—with or without calcium—does not reduce fracture risk in healthy postmenopausal women, and that it carries a small but measurable risk of kidney stones. The USPSTF reached this conclusion by reviewing published studies—including the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), which involved more than 36,000 healthy postmenopausal women, many of whom were asked to take 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Results of other studies were consistent with the WHI’s findings. The USPSTF recommended that healthy postmenopausal women avoid taking low-dose vitamin D and calcium supplements to ward off fractures, but also stated that more research is needed, since few high-quality studies have been performed.
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