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Effect of Calcium Supplementation on Forearm Bone Mineral Content in Postmenopausal Women: A Prospective, Sequential Controlled Trial¹

Karen J. Polley^*, B. E. C. Nordin, P. A. Baghurst, Cynthia J. Walker and B. E. Chatterton

^* Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Department of Endocrinology Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia Division of Human Nutrition, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Adelaide, South Australia

Three hundred ten normal postmenopausal volunteers were invited to enter a controlled trial of the effects of calcium supplementation on forearm mineral content (FMC); 269 entered the study and 210 completed it. Of those who completed the study, 158 were allocated to one of three calcium-supplemented treatment regimes and 52 were allocated to a control group. Twenty-two of the subjects allocated to the treatment group were unable to take supplementary calcium but agreed to remain in the study as additional controls. There were therefore 136 treated subjects, 52 strict controls and 74 controls altogether. During the initial observation period of 9 mo, there was a highly significant loss of bone in all groups (P < 0.001). During the 9-mo period of treatment, there was a highly significant reduction in the rate of bone loss in the treated subjects (P < 0.001), a just significant reduction in the strict controls (P < 0.05) and a nonsignificant reduction in the rate of loss in all controls. The difference between the treated and strict controls in the second period was not significant but the difference between the treated and all controls in the second period was significant (P < 0.025). When the analysis was applied only to women within 10 yr of menopause, the difference between the treated and strict control groups in period 2 was significant (P < 0.025) and the difference between the treated and all controls was highly significant (P < 0.001).

KEY WORDS: • calcium • menopause • bone density

¹ We acknowledge support from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, the South Australian Health Commission, the Ramaciotti Foundation, the Adelaide Bone and Joint Research Foundation and Sandoz Australia.

Manuscript received 27 May 1987. Revision accepted 29 July 1987.