HHS HealthBeat (March 23, 2006)

Healthy bones

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Women's bones can get weaker as they get past menopause, and that can lead to broken bones. Some people thought calcium and vitamin D supplements could help protect the bones. But a big study showed that idea had some big cracks. The report was in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Women's Health Initiative, supported by the National Institutes of Health, found no broad benefit for bone, but did find some gains. Women over 60 and those who consistently took the supplements showed fewer hip fractures.

Researcher Rebecca Jackson of Ohio State University says calcium and vitamin D remain a foundation for bone health in postmenopausal women.

"Our message to the baby boomer is to be informed with each of these choices that she makes in terms of preventive strategies for common diseases that she's likely to encounter as she gets older." (12 seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011