Trial reportThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2020
VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL): Effects of Vitamin D Supplements on Risk of Falls in the US Population.
Trial report in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
54 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 97 citations in OpenAlex.
- Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of vitamin D, calcium, or combined supplementation on fall prevention: a systematic review and updated network meta-analysis.BMC geriatrics · 2024Pooled it
- Population-based interventions for preventing falls and fall-related injuries in older people.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- GRADE-ADOLOPMENT of clinical practice guideline for postmenopausal osteoporosis management-a Pakistani context.Archives of osteoporosis · 2023Guideline
- Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Risk of Fractures and Falls According to Dosage and Interval: A Meta-Analysis.Endocrinology and metabolism (Seoul, Korea) · 2022Pooled it
- Association Between Vitamin D Supplementation and Fall Prevention.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Pooled it
- Effect of vitamin D, omega-3 supplementation, or a home exercise program on muscle mass and sarcopenia: DO-HEALTH trial.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2025Trial
- Effects of Supplemental Vitamin D3, Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Physical Performance Measures in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024Trial
- Effects of testosterone and vitamin D on fall risk in pre-frail hypogonadal men: a factorial design RCT.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2024Trial
- Effect of Vitamin D3 and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Risk of Frailty: An Ancillary Study of a Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2022Trial
- Supplemental Vitamin D and Incident Fractures in Midlife and Older Adults.The New England journal of medicine · 2022Trial
- Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Outcomes in People With Early Psychosis: The DFEND Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2021Trial
- Vitamin D supplementation and risk of falling: outcomes from the randomized, placebo-controlled D-Health Trial.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2021Trial
- Daily Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation as a Foundational Pillar in Osteoporosis Management: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Vitamin D and Health Outcomes: State-of-the-Art Review of Triangulated Evidence and Ongoing Controversies.Current nutrition reports · 2026Review
- Nutrition's role in extending healthspan: CRN-international symposium report.European journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- Association between serum vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease risk in patients with hyperuricemia: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2026Article
- Mitochondrial dysfunction in pregnancy loss: a review.Molecular and cellular biochemistry · 2025Review
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Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
contextIt is unclear whether vitamin D supplementation reduces risk of falls, and results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are conflicting.
objectiveThe objective of this work is to determine whether 2000 IU/day of supplemental vitamin D3 decreases fall risk.
designVITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) is a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT including 25 871 adults, randomly assigned November 2011 to March 2014 and treated for 5.3 years (median).
settingThis is a nationwide study.
participantsMen 50 years or older and women 55 years or older (mean age, 67.1 years) without cancer or cardiovascular disease at baseline participated in this study.
interventionsInterventions included vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol; 2000 IU/day) and/or omega-3 fatty acids (1 g/day) or respective placebos in a 2 × 2 factorial design.
main outcome measuresMain outcome measures include 2 or more falls and falls resulting in a doctor or hospital visit.
resultsBaseline serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level was 77 nmol/L; characteristics were well-balanced between groups. Numbers of participants with 2 or more falls were similar between active and placebo groups (9.8% vs 9.4%). Over 5 years, there were no differences in the proportion having 2 or more falls (odds ratio [OR] = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.90-1.05, P = .50), falls resulting in a doctor visit (OR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.94-1.13, P = .46), or resulting in a hospital visit (OR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.90-1.19, P = .61) between groups. Results did not differ between those with baseline 25(OH)D less than 50 vs 50 nmol/L or greater or other cut points.
conclusionDaily supplemental vitamin D3 vs placebo did not decrease fall risk in generally healthy adults not selected for vitamin D insufficiency. This large RCT does not indicate that supplemental vitamin D should be used for primary prevention of falls in the US population.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.