Effectiveness of Vitamin D Supplements in Reducing the Risk of Falls among Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: The role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of falls in older adults has not been clearly demonstrated. This study examined the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the risk of falls in older adults. Methods: Four databases (Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and CINAHL) were searched without language restrictions or time limitations. These articles were comprehensively screened using EndNote version 20.1 software. A manual search of the reference lists of the identified studies was also performed. The analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The pooled evidence was analyzed using RevMan software version 5.4. Results: Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria among 550 potentially relevant studies. The pooled analysis of 38,598 older adults showed that vitamin D supplementation decreased the odds of having at least one fall by 1% (odds ratio [OR]=1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92-1.11; p=0.86); however, the difference was not statistically significant. Of eight studies with 19,946 older adults, the pooled analysis showed a 12% (OR=1.12; 95% CI, 0.97-1.29; p=0.11) decrease in the odds of having at least one fracture among older adults; however, the difference was also not statistically significant. Pooled subgroup analysis showed that neither low (< 2,000 IU/day) nor high (=2,000 and < 4,000 IU/day) doses of vitamin D supplementation had any significant effect on the incidence of falls and fractures. Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation had no beneficial effect in reducing fall and fracture incidence among older adults.