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Bette Caan, DrPH; Marian Neuhouser, PhD; Aaron Aragaki, MS; Cora Beth Lewis, MD; Rebecca Jackson, MD; Meryl S. LeBoff, MD; Karen L. Margolis, MD; Lynda Powell, PhD; Gabriel Uwaifo, MD; Evelyn Whitlock, MD; Judy Wylie-Rosett, EdD; Andrea LaCroix, PhD

Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(9):893-902.

Background  Obesity in the United States has increased significantly during the past several decades. The role of calcium in the maintenance of a healthy body weight remains controversial.

Methods  A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was performed with 36 282 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79 years, who were already enrolled in the dietary modification and/or hormone therapy arms of the Women's Health Initiative clinical trial. Women were randomized at their first or second annual visit to receive a dose of 1000 mg of elemental calcium plus 400 IU of cholecalciferol (vitamin D) or placebo daily. Change in body weight was ascertained annually for an average of 7 years.

Results  Women receiving calcium plus cholecalciferol supplements vs women receiving placebo had a minimal but consistent favorable difference in weight change (mean difference, –0.13 kg; 95% confidence interval, –0.21 to –0.05; P  = .001). After 3 years of follow-up, women with daily calcium intakes less than 1200 mg at baseline who were randomized to supplements were 11% less likely to experience small weight gains (1-3 kg) and 11% less likely to gain more moderate amounts of weight (>3 kg) (P for interaction for baseline calcium intake = .008).

Conclusion  Calcium plus cholecalciferol supplementation has a small effect on the prevention of weight gain, which was observed primarily in women who reported inadequate calcium intakes.

Trial Registration  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000611

Author Affiliations: Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland (Dr Caan); Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash (Drs Neuhouser and LaCroix and Mr Aragaki); Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (Dr Lewis); Ohio State University, Columbus (Dr Jackson); Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (Dr LeBoff); University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Dr Margolis); Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill (Dr Powell); Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medstar Research Institute, Howard University, Washington, DC (Dr Uwaifo); Science Programs Department, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Ore (Dr Whitlock); and Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (Dr Wylie-Rosett).

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