title: Calcium and vitamin D supplementation do not influence menopause-related symptoms: Results of the Women's Health Initiative Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is unknown whether supplementation with calcium and vitamin D has an impact on menopause-related symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of the Women's Health Initiative Calcium/Vitamin D Supplementation Trial (CaD), women were randomized at 40 clinical sites to elemental calcium carbonate 1000 mg with vitamin D 400 IU daily or placebo. At the CaD baseline visit (year 1 or year 2) and during a mean follow-up of 5.7 years, participants provided data on menopause-related symptoms via questionnaires. Generalized linear mixed effects techniques were used to address research questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After excluding participants with missing data (N=2125), we compared menopause-related symptoms at follow-up visits of 17,101 women randomized to CaD with those of 17,056 women given the placebo. Women in the CaD arm did not have a different number of symptoms at follow-up compared to women taking the placebo (p=0.702). Similarly, there was no difference between sleep disturbance, emotional well-being, or energy/fatigue at follow-up in those who were randomized to CaD supplementation compared to those taking the placebo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that supplementation with 1000 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D does not influence menopause-related symptoms over an average of 5.7 years of follow-up among postmenopausal women with an average age of 64 at the WHI baseline visit.
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR 97227, United States. Electronic address: erin.s.leblanc@kpchr.org.
authors.forename: Erin S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Department of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States.
authors.forename: Haley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hedlin
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Department of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States.
authors.forename: FeiFei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Department of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States.
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.affiliation: University of Buffalo, 12 Capen Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wactawski-Wende
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR 97227, United States.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: JoAnn E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Manson
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Preventive Medicine, 66 N. Pauline, Suite 633, Memphis, TN 38163, United States.
authors.forename: Karen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: University of Hawaii, 2500 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States.
authors.forename: Kamal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Preventive Medicine, 66 N. Pauline, Suite 633, Memphis, TN 38163, United States.
authors.forename: Frances A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Tylavsky
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Medical School Office Building, 1265 Welch Rd, Room X308, Mail code: 5411, Stanford, CA 94305-5411, United States.
authors.forename: Marcia L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stefanick
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004644:Emotions; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Calcium; Hot flashes; Menopause; Mood; Sleep; Vitamin D