Panel warns against vitamin D, calcium use to prevent falls in older adults

#1

FWIW … [I don’t plan to change my routine. I take both, but not every day.]

While vitamin D and calcium are important for bone health and muscle function, the task force, a blue-ribbon panel of experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine, said the supplements do little to reduce falls or fractures, and they may increase the risk of kidney stones.

The task force said the recommendation applies to people living at home, including women who have gone through menopause and men 60 years and older. It does not apply to people in assisted living or nursing homes because people living in those facilities may be more prone to health complications, including risk of falls.

The article may be behind a paywall
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/panel-warns-against-vitamin-d-calcium-use-to-prevent-falls-in-older-adults/

#2

How would vitamin D or Calcium prevent a fall?

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#3

Good question …

What could help prevent falls is good balance & muscle strength – there is some thought that calcium & vitamin d could be active against sarcopenia (says google).

Again from google, a certain amount of trouble with balance results from lack of strength.

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#4

Do hips ever break and cause a fall, then they don’t know which happened first?

#5

There is some thought that might happen, but may be hard to tell.

#6

FWIW

In people with very weak bones, a hip fracture can occur simply by standing on the leg and twisting.
Hip fracture - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic

#7

I had the same question and smb explained to me that when porous bones break it causes a fall and more fractures. It could also be the other way.

#8

Spontaneous hip fractures do occur but they are a very small fraction of hip fractures.

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