Review: prophylactic use of vitamin D reduces falls in older people
Q Is prophylactic use of vitamin D effective for preventing falls in older people?
METHODS
Data sources:
MEDLINE and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (1960 to February 2004), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1991 to February 2004), and the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research conference abstracts (1995–2002); bibliographies of relevant studies; and experts in the field.
Study selection and assessment:
randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared prophylactic use of any type of vitamin D with a control condition in community dwelling or institutionalised older people (mean age of study participants had to be ⩾60 y) and included a methods section that stated how falls (the outcome) were defined and ascertained. Individual study quality was assessed using specified criteria that included allocation concealment, blinding, and withdrawals.
Outcomes:
low trauma falls defined as unintentionally coming to rest on the ground, …
