Roundup: Caution Urged on Use of Vitamin D, Calcium Supplements for Some Older Adults; and More News

New Guidance Urges Against Use of Vitamin D, Calcium Supplements for Fall and Fracture Prevention in Older Adults

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts, has issued new guidance against the use of vitamin D and calcium supplementation for the prevention of falls and fractures in community-dwelling adults. This guidance targets postmenopausal women and men aged 60 and older.

The Task Force states that evidence regarding these supplements does not show a clear benefit for preventing these injuries. The recommendation applies to people who live at home – and not to adults residing in assisted living or nursing homes.

The panel clarifies that this recommendation does not apply to people taking these supplements for other health reasons, such as treating vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, or other conditions that affect vitamin D absorption. For those individuals, it’s crucial to follow the guidance of their healthcare providers.

Falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults, and fractures can have a profound impact on a person’s independence and overall quality of life. While the Task Force recognizes the importance of preventing falls and fractures, their latest review of the evidence found that vitamin D and calcium supplementation does not significantly reduce the risk of these injuries in older adults.

John M. Ruiz, M.D., a member of the Task Force, explains: “Preventing older adults from falling and breaking a bone is important to their ongoing health and independence. Unfortunately, when we reviewed the latest evidence, we found that taking vitamin D with or without calcium does not prevent falls or fractures in older adults, so we recommend against these supplements for people who are not taking them for other medical reasons.”

What Are the Risks?

Although vitamin D and calcium are essential for bone health and overall wellness, the Task Force’s review found that taking these supplements in an attempt to prevent falls or fractures may not only be ineffective -- but could also lead to potential harms. One such harm is an increased risk of kidney stones, which can result from excessive intake of calcium supplements.

Given this, the Task Force recommends alternative, evidence-based methods to help older adults maintain bone health and prevent falls. These include:

1. Screening for Osteoporosis: Regular screening for osteoporosis in women, especially those who have gone through menopause, is an important way to identify those at greater risk of fractures.
2. Structured Exercise Programs: Engaging in regular exercise programs that focus on improving balance, strength, and mobility can significantly reduce the risk of falls in older adults, especially for those already at higher risk.

This draft recommendation is open for public comment from through January 21, 2025, giving the public, healthcare providers, and stakeholders a chance to share their thoughts. You can submit comments on the Task Force website at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.

Smoking Just One Cigarette Could Shorten Your Life by 20 Minutes: New Study Reveals Startling Findings

A recent study commissioned by the U.K. government has revealed that smoking just one cigarette can reduce your life expectancy by 20 minutes. This research sheds light on the immediate and long-term health consequences of smoking, offering new insight into how quitting can significantly improve life expectancy.

The study, which draws on data from the U.K.'s British Doctors Study and the Million Women Study, demonstrates the toll that smoking even a single cigarette can take on your body. Although the measurement of "minutes off life" is somewhat imprecise, it illustrates how detrimental smoking is to overall health.

While the effects of smoking can seem irreversible, the good news is that quitting can quickly reverse some of the damage. According to the study, smokers who quit for just one week can theoretically regain an entire day of life expectancy, assuming they smoke about 10 cigarettes a day. This means that if smokers quit on January 1st and they stick to the commitment for a year, they each could potentially gain back 50 days of life expectancy.

It’s never too late to quit, and the sooner a person stops smoking, the greater the health benefits, medical experts say. One of the study's authors, Sarah Jackson, principal research fellow at University College London’s Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, emphasized in a news release: "The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. Quitting at any age substantially improves health, and the benefits start almost immediately."

Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide. In the U.S., about 11.6 percent of adults and 3.8 percent of youth continue to smoke, despite a sharp decline in smoking rates over the last few decades. The American Lung Association reports that cigarette smoking still leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, and contributes to diseases such as heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Managing Chronic Pain with a Healthy Diet: New Research Offers Hope

While treatments exist, many people continue to struggle with chronic pain without effective relief. However, new research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) offers a potential solution to better manage chronic pain: adopting a healthier diet.

Researchers explored how body fat, diet, and pain are interrelated. Their findings revealed that individuals who consumed more foods in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which are similar to U.S. guidelines — such as vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats, dairy, and alternatives — experienced lower levels of chronic pain. Notably, this effect was observed independently of a person’s body weight, suggesting that a healthy diet can alleviate pain regardless of body composition.

This finding is significant because it offers a potentially life-changing approach to managing chronic pain. Researchers found that consuming a balanced diet was associated with less pain, particularly among women, showing that diet quality could play an important role in pain relief.

In a statement, UniSA Ph.D. researcher, Sue Ward, said the study shows how modifiable factors, such as diet, can help manage and relieve chronic pain. “This is important because being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for chronic pain. Knowing that food choices and the overall quality of a person’s diet will not only make a person healthier, but also help reduce their pain levels, is extremely valuable.”

The study also uncovered a notable difference between men and women in how diet influences pain levels. For women, a healthier diet was strongly associated with reduced pain levels and improved physical function. In contrast, the effect was weaker in men, indicating that gender might influence how diet impacts chronic pain.

Although the study didn’t fully establish whether a poor diet leads to more pain or if pain leads to unhealthy eating habits, the researchers speculated that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of core food groups may be responsible for the pain reduction. These foods, which include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, are known for their ability to fight inflammation—one of the key contributors to chronic pain.

Chronic pain is a persistent and debilitating condition that affects millions worldwide, or about 30 percent of the population. In Australia alone, 1.6 million people are grappling with chronic pain, a condition that is particularly prevalent among women and those who are overweight or obese.