• Nicola Di Daniele, Maria Grazia Carbonelli, Nicola Candeloro, Leonardo Iacopino, Antonino De Lorenzo, and Angela Andreoli.
• Human Nutrition Unit, Via Montpellier 1, University of Rome, "Tor Vergata", 00173 Rome, Italy.
• Pharmacol. Res. 2004 Dec 1; 50 (6): 637-41.

BackgroundOsteoporosis is a serious global health problem for the future, that is why improving diagnostic methods and prevention of this disease could be helpful.ObjectivesTo assess the effects of calcium supplementations combined with Vitamin D on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in a representative sample of peri- and post-menopausal women in a double-blind, a randomized, controlled trial was untaken.DesignA total of 120 women aged over 45 were included in a randomised placebo-controlled, double-blind trial on the effect of a daily dietary supplementation of calcium and Vitamin D on bone mineral density and bone mineral content; over a 30-month period.MethodsDietary intake assessment; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure total body and segmental bone mineral density and bone mineral content at beginning of the study and every 15 months were undertaken.ResultsThere was no significant change in dietary calcium or Vitamin D intakes in either of the treatment groups during the 30-month intervention period. The change in total BMD in the calcium group was significantly different from that in the placebo group (P <0.005). The placebo group lost a total BMD at a rate of about 0.4% per year. There was an inverse correlation between BMD and age.ConclusionsThe effect of calcium and Vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral density of calcium has been demonstrated in this group of young adult women. Our results showed the positive effect of calcium and Vitamin D supplementation in women both peri- and post-menopausal status; for this reason a supplementation of calcium and Vitamin D should be recommended as a strategic option in helping to prevent early postmenopausal bone loss.

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