A co-twin study of the effect of calcium supplementation on bone density during adolescence

Abstract

The effect of calcium supplementation on bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated in female twin pairs aged 10-17 years with a mean age of 14 years. forty-two twin pairs (22 monozygotic, 20 dizygotic; (including one monozygotic pair from a set of triplets) completed at least 6 months of the intervention: 37 pairs to 12 months and 28 pairs to 18 months. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). in a double-blind manner, one twin in each pair was randomly assigned to receive daily a 1000 mg effervescent calcium tablet (Sandocal 1000), and the other a placebo tablet similar in taste and appearance to the calcium supplement but containing no calcium. Compliance (at least 80% ta..