title: The potential benefits of dietary and/or supplemental calcium and vitamin D.
abstract: Osteoporosis is a significant problem in women and men. In addition, as osteoporosis has garnered more attention there should be more attention than ever placed on the potential benefits of calcium and vitamin D. Clinicians need to inform patients that there are numerous healthy dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D supplements seem to act synergistically to reduce fracture risk in men and women; therefore, they need to be taken together to impact fracture risk. In addition, almost every randomized trial of an effective osteoporosis drug therapy has utilized calcium and vitamin D to enhance the efficacy of the drug itself. Several forms of calcium supplements are commercially available today and clinicians need to understand the similarities and differences between them. Calcium and vitamin D in moderation also have a good safety profile and may actually have benefits far beyond osteoporosis therapy. For example, calcium may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), prevent colon polyps, reduce blood pressure, reduce kidney stone recurrence, and may promote weight loss. Vitamin D may reduce the risk of some cancers, provide an enhanced response to some chemotherapeutic agents, prevent type I diabetes, and may reduce tooth loss along with calcium. Clinicians need to encourage individuals to receive the recommended daily allowance of these two agents because they seem to have an impact on numerous health conditions besides osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan Medical Center, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0330, USA. moyad@umich.edu
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moyad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000378:metabolism; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium