Calcium and vitamin D supplementation do not influence menopause-related symptoms: Results of the Women's Health Initiative Trial. Issue 3 (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: LeBlanc, Erin S.; Hedlin, Haley; Qin, FeiFei; Desai, Manisha; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Perrin, Nancy; Manson, JoAnn E.; Johnson, Karen C.; Masaki, Kamal; Tylavsky, Frances A.; Stefanick, Marcia L.
• Is Part Of: Maturitas. Volume 81:Issue 3(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 377
• Page End: 383
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Vitamin D -- Calcium -- Menopause -- Hot flashes -- Mood -- Sleep; Climacteric -- Periodicals; Menopause -- Periodicals; Climacteric -- Periodicals; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Menopause -- Periodicals; Middle Aged -- Periodicals; Climatère -- Périodiques; Ménopause -- Périodiques; Climacterium; Climacteric; Menopause; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 612.66
• DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.04.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0378-5122

Abstract

Highlights: Women on calcium/vitamin D did not have fewer menopausal symptoms than placebo women. Calcium/vitamin D was not associated with sleep quality, mental health, or fatigue. Calcium/vitamin D did not improve wellbeing in women with an average age of 64 years. Abstract: Background: It is unknown whether supplementation with calcium and vitamin D has an impact on menopause-related symptoms. Methods: As part of the Women's Health Initiative Calcium/Vitamin D Supplementation Trial (CaD), women were randomized at 40 clinical sites to elemental calcium carbonate 1000 mg with vitamin D 400 IU daily or placebo. At the CaD baseline visit (year 1 or year 2) and during a mean follow-up of 5.7 years, participants provided data on menopause-related symptoms via questionnaires. Generalized linear mixed effects techniques were used to address research questions. Results: After excluding participants with missing data ( N = 2125), we compared menopause-related symptoms at follow-up visits of 17, 101 women randomized to CaD with those of 17, 056 women given the placebo. Women in the CaD arm did not have a different number of symptoms at follow-up compared to women taking the placebo ( p = 0.702). Similarly, there was no difference between sleep disturbance, emotional well-being, or energy/fatigue at follow-up in those who were randomized to CaD supplementation compared to those taking the placebo. Conclusions: Our data suggest that supplementation with 1000 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D does not influence menopause-related symptoms over an average of 5.7 years of follow-up among postmenopausal women with an average age of 64 at the WHI baseline visit.