Table 1.

 Design of randomised controlled trials and selected baseline characteristics of eligible trials of dietary calcium

Trial	Design	Calcium dose (mg/d)	Vitamin D dose (IU/d)	Duration	Care setting	Total No of participants*	No in Ca/controls group†	% women	Mean age (years)
Recker 198516	2 arm: milk and control	NS	—	2 y	Community	30	16/14	100	59
Polley 198717	4 arm: dairy, Ca, dairy/salt restrict, control	≥1250	—	9 mo	Community	269	58/52	100	57
Nelson 199118	2×2 factorial: ex/milk, ex/control, sed/milk, sed/control	831	—	1 y	Community	41	18/18	100	60
Chevalley 199419	3 arm: OMC/D, CaD, P/D	800	300 000 IM stat	18 mo	Community	93	31/31	85	72
Prince 199520	4 arm: milk, Ca, Ca/ex, P	1000	—	2 y	Community	168	42/42	100	63
Storm 199821	3 arm: milk, Ca, P	NS	—	2 y	Community	40	20/20	100	71
Castelo-Branco 199922	3 arm: OHC, Ca, control	3320	—	2 y	Community	60	17/16	100	55
Cleghorn 200123	2 arm: milk, control	700	—	1 y	Community	142	56/59	100	52
Lau 200124	2 arm: milk, control	800	—	24 mo	Community	200	95/90	100	57
Chee 200325	2 arm: milk, control	1200	—	24 mo	Community	200	91/82	100	59
Albertazzi 200426	3 arm: OHC, Ca, P	500	—	6 mo	Community	153	52/50	100	68
Daly 200627	2 arm: milk, control	1000	800	2 y	Community	167	85/82	0	62
Manios 200728	3 arm: dairy, Ca, control	1200	300	12 mo	Community	112	39/36	100	61
Kukuljan 200929	2×2 factorial: milk, milk/ex, ex, control	1000	800	12 mo	Community	180	90/90	0	61
Gui 201230	3 arm: milk, soy milk, control	250	—	18 mo	Community	141	100/41	100	56

Ca=calcium; restrict=restriction; ex=exercise; sed=sedentary; OMC=ossein-mineral complex; D=vitamin D; CaD=co-administered Ca and vitamin D; P=placebo; IM=intramuscular; OHC=ossein-hydroxyapatite complex.

*Total number of randomised participants in all treatment arms.

†Number of participants in relevant arms from trial in whom bone mineral density was reported.