Spinal bone density and calcium intake in healthy postmenopausal women

Dietary calcium intake and bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L2–L4) were determined in 131 healthy free-living postmenopausal women (aged 64.7 ± 7.6 y,x̄ ± SD). The calcium consumption for the total population was 606 ± 302 mg/d. Subjects consuming less than the population mean of dietary calcium had significantly lower BMDs than did subjects with intakes above the mean (P< 0.009); these two groups did not differ in basic demographic characteristics. Additional analyses using a stepwise univariate regression model demonstrated that BMD was significantly associated with body weight (P< 0.001) and dietary calcium intake (P< 0.02). These data support the hypothesis that dietary calcium intake is a determinant of skeletal health in postmenopausal women.