Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the effects of Ca and/or vitamin D supplementation for 53 weeks on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women. The subjects were healthy 18 women aged from 59 to 69 years old. They were divided into three groups : placebo, Ca(1000mg/day) supplementation and Ca(1000mg/day) with vitamin D(12.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/day) supplementation. During the experimental periods except for metabolic studies, the subjects ate their usual diets and the use of drugs as well as excessive exercise was prohibited. Metabolic studies were conducted in the 1st week and in the 53rd week of the experimental periods. The subjects ate experimental diets which consisted of 1787.3kcal, 69.6g of protein, 561.5mg of Ca and 1078.6mg of P daily during both of the metabolic study periods. The results were summarized as follows; 1) Bone density of the second lumbar spine and trochanter measured after treatment decreased significantly in control group as compared with pre-experimental level(p<0.05). On the contrary, bone density of femoral neck and Ward's triangle in Ca group and the second lumbar spine in Ca.Vit D group increased significantly after treatment. 2) Serum PTH and calcitonin levels did not show any significant differences among groups before and after treatment. But serum PTH level increased significantly in all groups after treatment(P<0.05). 3) Serum Ca and P levels did not show any significant differences among groups before and after treatment. But serum Ca level increased significantly in all groups after treatment (P<0.05) and serum P level decreased significantly in Ca.Vit D group after treatment(P<0.05). 4) Mean 24-hours fecal Ca excretion of Ca group was the highest in the 1st week of treatment(P<0.01), and that of control group was the lowest in the 53rd week of treatment(P<0.01). Fecal Ca excretion increased significantly in control and Ca.Vit D group in the 53rd week of treatment(P<0.05). Urinary Ca excretion did not show any significant differences among groups in the 1st and 53rd week of treatment, but that of Ca.Vit D group was the highest the 1st week of treatment(P<0.01). In the 53rd week of treatment Ca and Ca.Vit D group showed positive Ca balance, but control group showed negative Ca balance. The above results showed that it will be difficult to prevent degenerative bone loss without Ca and/or vitamin D supplementation in postmenopausal women eating Korean usual diets.