Abstract
Background: Calcium intake, whether from diet or supplementation, is an important determinant of bone mass and an adjunct to all treatments for osteoporosis. Recommended daily allowance for calcium is 800 mg; for patients with osteoporosis on treatment a higher intake of 1200 mg is advocated. As part of our DXA service, we estimate calcium intake from dairy sources, which accounts for about 80% of dietary calcium intake. Methods: We studied our computerised records of estimated daily calcium intake in our DXA database over a 2 year period (n 5 5982) according to the following categories: women (premenopausal and postmenopausal) and men (under 50 years and over 50 years). We determined the frequency of subjects with estimated calcium intake below 400 mg/d, 800 mg/d and 1200 mg/d. Results: About 69% of adults have calcium intake below recommended intake of 800 mg/d. If patients had a diagnosis of osteoporosis, then about 90% would need a prescription for a calcium supplement in order to achieve a daily calcium intake in excess of 1200 mg/d. Conclusion: An estimate of calcium intake should be made at the time of DXA testing in order to identify subjects who would benefit from advice about augmenting their dietary intake of calcium, and if necessary to make a suggestion to the referring clinician about prescribing calcium supplements.
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