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Primary Research · 2015

Calcium intake and risk of fracture: systematic review

Bolland et al. · BMJ, 2015

Key finding

Systematic review finding little evidence that increasing calcium intake prevents fractures in community-dwelling adults.

Self-assessments have limitations and are no substitute for independent audits of a business continuity programme. Nevertheless, they can be an economical way to identify gaps, enhance the programme and create awareness. Self- assessments can also help prepare the programme and team members for an independent audit. In a resource-constrained environment, self-assessments can provide an opportunity to obtain measurable outputs about current state that can be tracked over time to capture improvement and maturity or identify deficiencies. Self-assessments can have a valuable place in any business continuity programme.

Abstract sourced from PubMed, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Displayed in the authors’ own words for context; our critique is in the sections below.

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Cited in 2 guides

How to read a study like this

The same questions worth asking about any research paper, not just this one. Worth a minute even if you trust the grade.

Who was studied, and do you resemble them?

Supplement effects often depend on baseline status. Vitamin D helps people who are deficient; iron helps people who are anemic. A result in people unlike you may not apply to you.

What was measured, and does it matter in daily life?

A study that shows a blood marker moved isn't the same as a study that shows people felt or functioned better. Ask what the outcome means in practice.

How large was the effect — not just whether it was significant.

'Statistically significant' only means the effect is unlikely to be zero. It doesn't tell you the effect is large enough to notice. Look for effect sizes, not just p-values.

Who paid for the trial, and what did they stand to gain?

Industry-funded trials are several times more likely to report positive results than independent ones. It's not usually fraud — it's subtle design and reporting choices. Weight accordingly.

Has anyone else replicated this?

Single positive trials are hypotheses. Replication by independent groups is what turns a hypothesis into reliable evidence. If the only positive trial is the one you're reading, wait.

Does the dose in the trial match what's being sold?

Supplement marketing routinely cites trials that used 5–10× the dose in the product. If the effective dose was 2 g/day and the capsule has 200 mg, expect roughly no effect.

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