USPSTF No Longer Recommend Vit D For Fall Prevention in Older Adults
The USPSTF is now recommending against the use of vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of falls in community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older, according to a new Draft Recommendation Statement.
The new recommendation (grade D) contrasts the group’s 2012 recommendation in favor of supplementation for fall prevention.
__________________________________________________________________
Falls, Fractures Influenced By High-Dose Vitamin D?
__________________________________________________________________
After a review of new evidence from 4 good-quality and 3 fair-qualities studies including 7531 participants which examined the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of falls in older adults, the USPSTF concluded that no benefit could be demonstrated in adults not known to have vitamin D deficiency, and therefore re versed their recommendation.
The guidelines continue to recommend exercise for the prevention of falls in older adults at increased fall risk (grade B recommendation) and that multifactorial interventions be used to prevent falls in these patients (grade C recommendation).
The Draft Recommendation Statement is available to be commented on by the public until October 23, 2017.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Draft recommendation statement: falls prevention in community-dwelling older adults: interventions. US Preventive Services Task Force. September 2017.