THE ROLE OF CALCIUM IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS

It is now clear that calcium supplementation in postmenopausal women p roduces small but statistically significant benefits, leading to a slo wing but not an arrest of bone loss. Studies in children and adolescen ts have demonstrated similar small gains in bone density of about 1-2% in most cases. In both age groups, these findings may be attributable , at least in part, to an ''on-off'' effect resulting from the reducti on in bone turnover rather than a change in long term rates of bone lo ss or accretion. In spite of this, several small recent studies sugges t that fractures may be less common in those taking calcium supplement ation but this will not be definitively established until the re suits of larger, longer term studies are available.