Vitamin D No Help in Fall Risk Among Elderly

Daily vitamin D supplements are of no help in reducing the risk of falls among the elderly, recent research concludes.

A new meta-analysis, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, analyzed findings from 20 randomized control trials which tested the potential of vitamin D supplements to reduce falls in nearly 30,000 people.

Supplements do not lower falls by 15 percent or more, meaning they had little effect, according to Mark Bolland of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and colleagues.

They concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support recommending vitamin D to seniors to lower their risk of falls, and it's futile to conduct future studies because they would not change the result.

"Future trials with similar designs are unlikely to alter these conclusions. At present, there is little justification for prescribing vitamin D supplements to prevent falls," the authors wrote.

Each year, one in every three senior citizens (age 65 and over) suffers from a fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Falls can cause moderate to severe injuries, such as hip fractures and head traumas, and can increase the risk of early death.

In 2010 alone, 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized.

Researchers noted that current evidence does not show whether taking vitamin D supplements might reduce falls in particularly vulnerable older people, such as those who fall often.

"Whether a large trial is feasible in this vulnerable population remains to be established. Until then, we are left with uncertainty about the benefits of vitamin D supplementation for reduction in fall risk, particularly among vulnerable older people," Clifford Rosen, of the Maine Medical Research Institute, and Christine Taylor, of the US National Institutes of Health, wrote in an accompanying statement.

For those who are most vulnerable, or simply those elderly adults who are afraid of falling, the CDC recommends regular exercise and making homes safer by reducing tripping hazards and installing bars in the shower or bath.