Review finds calcium supplements effective

SYDNEY, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Adults over 50 who take calcium supplements have about 25 percent less fractures and a better quality of life, Australian researchers found.

Researchers at the University of Western Sydney did a meta-analysis that involved 63,000 people taking calcium or calcium and vitamin D supplements.

The study, published in the journal The Lancet, found long-term daily calcium and vitamin D supplements have the potential to reduce the risk of fracture in the elderly by almost 25 percent and therefore calcium supplements -- 1200 mg of calcium with 800 international units of Vitamin D -- have an important role as a preventative medication.

"The efficacy of calcium supplements in reducing the risk of fractures later in life is comparable to more established preventative medicines such as aspirin and statins, which are widely taken to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as strokes and heart attacks," study leader Dr. Benjamin Tang said in a statement.