LAUSR

1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men will suffer a fragility fracture. Research into calcium and vitamin D supplements has found no consistent evidence to suggest that they reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures. There has been little research to suggest that dietary calcium is effective at reducing the risk osteoporotic fractures, but supplements have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and urinary stones. Bisphosphonates have been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures and are usually taken in combination with calcium and vitamin D supplements given that deficiencies must be corrected prior to starting. This study set out to assess the dietary calcium intake of patients who attend the falls clinic and explore their attitudes towards dietary change, as an alternative or adjunct to a calcium and vitamin D tablet. Data was collected during private interviews conducted with patients who attended the falls clinic. The Edinburgh University Centre for Genomic and Experimental research (CGEM) food frequency calculator was used to calculate dietary calcium intake. Microsoft Excel was used to collate and analyse the data. No association was found between dietary calcium intake, age and sex. We did find that mean dietary calcium intake was significantly less than the recommended daily amount for adults with osteoporosis, with 80% not getting their recommended daily intake (p < 0.05). We identified patients who don’t receive a calcium and vitamin D supplement as an at-risk group who would benefit from advice on sources of dietary calcium and 83% of patients said that they would be interested in a leaflet on sources of dietary calcium. This study has identified a group of patients who will hopefully benefit from a leaflet on sources of dietary calcium and as result improve their bone health.