Effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone density in men and women 65 years of age or older.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Inadequate dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D may contribute to the high prevalence of osteoporosis among older persons.

Who Took Part

The study group was 176 men.

PubMed indexes the participants as older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The men 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 men and researchers unaware of who received Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Some men received a placebo instead of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, giving a reference point.

Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, blood and urine were analyzed every six months, and cases of nonvertebral fracture were ascertained by means of interviews and verified with use of hospital records.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Bone Density, Calcium, Citric Acid, Collagen, Collagen Type I, Femur Neck and Fractures, Bone.

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 176 men.

Results are reported in around 4 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 1997 (The New England journal of medicine), a journal based in United States.

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