To examine whether currently recommended doses of calcium and vitamin D in men undergoing ADT are adequate to prevent the loss of BMD, Mridul Datta, R.D., Ph.D., and Gary G. Schwarz, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., conducted a review of 12 clinical trials.

The researchers found that current guidelines recommend calcium supplementation of 500 to 1,000 mg/day and vitamin D doses of 200 to 500 international units/day for men undergoing ADT. According to the results of the clinical trials, however, men continued to lose BMD at these doses.

"The doses of calcium and vitamin D that have been tested are inadequate to prevent loss of bone mineral density in men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy," the authors write. "In light of evidence that high levels of dietary calcium and calcium supplement use are associated with higher risks for cardiovascular disease and advanced prostate cancer, intervention studies should evaluate the safety as well as the efficacy of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in these men."

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