Dietary calcium intake in a cohort of elderly patients already in drug therapy for osteoporosis. Is it possible and how to modify the eating habits before calcium supplementation?

Abstract

Inadequate intake of calcium via the diet is very common in patients taking drugs for osteoporosis. We have evaluated 302 consecutive elderly patients (68.6 median age) attending our Rheumatological and Orthopedic Outpatient Clinics using a questionnaire for evaluation of dietary calcium intake. Two hundred and forty of these had a questionnaire score <7 (indicative of a poor intake of calcium, less than 1000 mg/day) and 193/240 were not taking any calcium supplements. A discussion with the patient about the individual questions in the questionnaire allowed to change some taboo and to get a questionnaire score >7 in 205/240 after an average period of 3-6 months. In the 35 patients in which this was not possible, the exact knowledge of calcium dietary intake (poor or absent) has allowed a tailored calcium supplementation.