Study reinforces need for Saudi residents to take calcium and vitamin D supplements

The study published recently in the prestigious international medical journal, The Lancet was conducted by the UWS Centre for Complementary Medicine Research (CompleMED). The new meta-analysis was carried out on over 63,000 people taking calcium or calcium and vitamin D supplements. The study carried out over three and a half years, found long term daily calcium and Vitamin D supplements have the potential to reduce the risk of fracture in the elderly by almost a quarter. The people who took calcium supplements were not only less likely to fracture their bones, they also slightly reduced their rate of bone loss from their hip and spine, compared with people who didn't take calcium supplements.

Studies carried out by regional osteoporosis societies with the International Osteoporosis Federation and the Universtiy of Melbourne were conducted across the Middle East to evaluate Bone Mineral Density (BMD). BMD measures the mineral density, such as calcium, in your bones using a special X-ray, the studies found that the BMD was lower than the standard established for the US/European Reference data.

The results from Saudi, found lower BMD than the standard established for the US/European reference data. The prevalence of Osteoporosis using this reference data was found to be 47.7% in Saudi Arabia.

According to Dr. Hussein Saadi, Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Sciences at the UAE University, in the United Arab Emirates, in a recent review published in the Emirates Medical Journal 'Vitamin D deficiency in Arab women and children: It is Time for Action'. 'In addition to adequate vitamin D intake, lifelong intake of adequate calcium is also necessary to maintain bone and general health. The best source of calcium is food, principally dairy products. All adults should receive at least 1,000 mg/day of elemental calcium. In a study of 185 healthy young UAE women almost a quarter of the subjects consumed less than 500 mg/day of calcium. Calcium supplements should be used when an adequate dietary intake cannot be achieved.'

According to Rany Victor, Senior Brand Manager, Sandoz Osteo-Mix, Novartis Consumer Health, 'taking calcium supplements is similar to superannuation insurance payments where small regular contributions build to much larger pay offs years down the track'. Victor also added that 'this study shows the importance of starting supplements early in life, when bone mineral loss begins to accelerate'.

The study calculated a regular daily dose of 1200mg of calcium with 800 international units of Vitamin D provided the best therapeutic effect.

Dr. Benjamin Tang the lead author of the Australian study, in Research Australia stressed that the research provides clear evidence that calcium supplements decrease fracture rates and loss of bone density in older people. 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.