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The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued a new draft recommendation advising against the use of vitamin D supplements, with or without calcium, for the prevention of fractures and falls in older adults. This recommendation was published online on December 17, 2024, and is based on a comprehensive review of recent research.
Researchers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in Rockville, Maryland, conducted an extensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of vitamin D and calcium supplementation in preventing fractures and falls among community-dwelling adults. The review included 20 randomized controlled trials, with a focus on postmenopausal women and men aged 50 years or older.
The analysis revealed that vitamin D supplementation, either alone or combined with calcium, showed minimal to no benefit in preventing hip fractures. The pooled risk ratio for hip fractures among those supplemented with vitamin D was 0.99, with a confidence interval of 0.86 to 1.13, indicating no significant reduction in fracture risk. Furthermore, for the incidence of falls, the pooled relative risk was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97 to 1.01), which translates to only five fewer participants per 1,000 experiencing a fall after supplementation.
As a result of these findings, the USPSTF recommends against vitamin D supplementation for the primary prevention of fractures and falls in postmenopausal women and men aged 60 or older. This recommendation is classified as a “D” grade, meaning that the Task Force concludes there is insufficient benefit to justify the use of these supplements in this population for these purposes.
The draft recommendation and accompanying evidence review are open for public comment until January 21, 2025. Health professionals and the public are encouraged to provide feedback on the proposed guidance.
For more information, individuals can access the draft evidence review and recommendation statement through the USPSTF website.
