Tier 1 — highest

Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls: systematic review and meta-analysis

Olivier Massé, Claudia Mei Mercurio, Sébastien Dupuis, Maya Al Sahwi, Alexandra Arruda, Gabriel Dallaire, Katherine Desforges, Nicolas Dugré, David Williamson
BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 2026 393:e088050

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42161415
PubMed Central
PMC13188451
DOI
10.1136/bmj-2025-088050
Funding
Funding is not specified in the indexed abstract or accessible funding metadata. Consult the original publication for the declaration.
Competing interests
The authors report no relevant competing interests.

Study snapshot

DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis
ModelHuman evidence synthesis
Sample69 randomized trials involving 153,902 adults
InterventionCalcium, vitamin D or both versus placebo/no treatment
DurationVaried across trials; searches through February 2025
EndpointsAny fracture; Hip, vertebral and other fractures; Falls

What the study showed, in plain terms

This publication examines any fracture, hip, vertebral and other fractures, falls. Study population or evidence base: 69 randomized trials involving 153,902 adults. Intervention or exposure: Calcium, vitamin D or both versus placebo/no treatment.

Key findings

The 2026 review found little to no clinically meaningful fracture or fall prevention from routine supplementation in the populations studied, using absolute-effect thresholds.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Most participants were community dwelling and not at high fracture risk. Evidence was more limited in residential care and some high-risk groups; this does not negate treating deficiency.

Related papers in the corpus

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Vitamin D and Calcium for the Prevention of Fracture: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Pang Yao et al. · JAMA network open · 2019
Tier 1
Vitamin D and Muscle Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials
Lise Sofie Bislev et al. · Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research · 2021

Editorial review

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