Effects of three-monthly oral 150, cholecalciferol supplementation on falls, mobility, and muscle strength in older postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.

What Was Tested

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

However, poor adherence to therapy is a common clinical problem.

Mean age at baseline was 76.7 ± 4.1 years.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 40 subjects taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are older adults, women only.

Serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was measured in a subgroup of 40 subjects.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Because people in this Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Neither the subjects nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

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

At baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months, muscle strength was measured by a handheld dynamometer and mobility by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Accidental Falls, Calcium, Cholecalciferol, Dietary Supplements, Life Style, Movement and Muscle Strength.

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 40 subjects.

The publication is from 2012 (Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research), a journal based in England.

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