Can vitamin D supplementation prevent bone loss in persons with MS? A placebo-controlled trial.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a possible cause of secondary osteoporosis.

All patients managed at the University Hospital of North Norway who fulfilled the main inclusion criteria were invited to participate in this double-blinded trial.

Who Took Part

The study group was 71 participants.

PubMed indexes the participants as young adults, adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the participants and researchers unaware of who received Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc could be set against what happens without it.

What Was Measured

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a possible cause of secondary osteoporosis.

The primary outcome was the effect of the intervention on percentage change in bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip, the spine, and the ultradistal radius over the study period.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Bone Density Conservation Agents, Cholecalciferol, Dietary Supplements, Multiple Sclerosis and Osteoporosis.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 71 participants.

The publication is from 2011 (Journal of neurology), a journal based in Germany.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.