A new study has found that vitamin D supplements can help prevent the falls that are a major cause of injury, hospitalization and death in older people.

The study, published in the April 28 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association is an analysis of five studies on the beneficial effects of vitamin D and indicates that a daily vitamin D dose of 800 IU reduces the incidence of falls in people aged 65 and older by 22%.


One-third of elderly fall at least once a year

US government statistics show that about one-third of people 65 and older fall at least once a year, leading to 1.6 million emergency room treatments and 388,000 hospitalizations. The figures also show that falls cause 11,600 deaths a year, most of them in people 75 and older who suffer hip fractures.

The five studies analyzed in the report compared the incidence of falls in more than 1,200 older people who took either a vitamin D supplement, calcium or a placebo, under carefully controlled conditions.


Vitamin supplement advised


Researchers observed that the number of persons who took vitamin D who fell was smaller than those who took only calcium or a placebo. The 800 IU-a-day recommendation was made because the frequency of falls was not reduced in people who took 400 IU a day of the vitamin. Ideally, the vitamin should be taken in combination with a calcium supplement.

A vitamin supplement is advisable because only limited amounts of vitamin D can be ingested through milk or supplemented orange juice. A standard multivitamin supplement won't provide enough vitamin D because it contains only 400 IU so a specific vitamin D supplement is advisable.