(04-07-11) High Dietary Calcium Has No Apparent Beneficial Effect on Fracture Risk

Dietary calcium intake above certain levels has little effect on women's risk for fracture or osteoporosis, according to a BMJ study.
Researchers followed some 60,000 women, aged about 55 at study entry, for 20 years. Calcium intakes were estimated with food-frequency questionnaires, and a subcohort underwent measurements of bone mineral density.
Subjects were separated into quintiles by cumulative calcium intake. Those in the lowest quintile were at greatest risk for having a first fracture of any type, hip fracture, or osteoporosis during follow-up, when compared with the middle quintile (reference group). After multivariable adjustment, those in the remaining higher-intake quintiles showed no greater advantage for avoiding fracture. In fact, hip fracture risk increased among those with the highest calcium intakes.
The authors say their results suggest that in preventing osteoporotic fractures, "emphasis should be placed on individuals with a low intake of calcium rather than increasing the intake of those already consuming satisfactory amounts."

Source: BMJ article (Free)

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