Big once a month doses of vitamin D don't increase fracture risk but aren't a big help either

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Australia; NSW; VIC; QLD; WA

Vitamin D supplements taken once a month do not increase people's risk of getting a bone fracture according to Australian research, although the study also didn't find any clear benefit from taking the supplements. Previous studies had left experts uncertain if monthly vitamin D supplementation would increase fracture risk, but this new research did not find an effect of monthly doses of 60 000 international units of vitamin D3 on fractures. However, there was a hint of benefit that was starting to show around the end of the trial, at the 5-year mark, which the authors say suggests that vitamin D supplements might reduce the rate of fractures if they are taken for more than 3–4 years, but more research is needed to confirm this. 

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Research The Lancet, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).
Journal/
conference:
The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology
Research:Paper
Organisation/s: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Monash University, The University of Melbourne, Cancer Council Victoria, The University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, Queensland University of Technology, University of Tasmania, The University of Queensland
Funder: The D-Health Trial is funded by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grants (GNT1046681 and GNT1120682). REN, PMW, DCW, and PRE are or were supported by fellowships from the NHMRC (GNT1060183, GNT1173346, GNT1155413, and GNT1197958). DSAM is supported by a Metro North Clinician Research Fellowship and a Queensland Advancing Clinical Research Fellowship. See paper for declarations of interest
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