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But the hormones demonstrated efficacy for reducing hot flushes and other symptoms of menopause and for protecting bones.

A week ago, the WHI reported that low-fat diets did not reduce risk of breast or colon cancer and was equally ineffective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The calcium-vitamin D study recruited 36,282 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 who were already enrolled in the WHI.

Of those, 18,176 were randomized to 1,000 mg of elemental calcium as calcium carbonate and 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily and 18,106 were randomized to placebo.

The women were followed for an average of seven years.

The mean age of the women was 62 and the mean body-mass index was 29.

In addition to the study medications, the women were permitted to use calcium supplements up to 1,000 mg a day and vitamin D up to 600 IU daily.

The women were also permitted the use of bisphosphonates and calcitonin during the trial, and half of the women were taking hormone therapy-all factors that critics said could obscure any potential benefit of the study supplements.

During the trial, the rate of hip fractures in the supplement group was 14 per 10,000 persons per year versus 16 per 10,000 persons per year in the control arm, for a 12% observed reducti...

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