New Study: Calcium Supplementation Safe for Women’s Heart Health

31 Jul 2014 --- A new study1 published in the July issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, found no increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) or all-cause mortality in post-menopausal women supplementing with calcium and vitamin D.

The study, “The Effects of Calcium Supplementation on Verified Coronary Heart Disease Hospitalization and Death in Postmenopausal Women: A Collaborative Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials,” is the fifth study in the last couple of years to reaffirm calcium’s safety2, 3, 4, 5, which is consistent with the overall body of scientific research.

“The evidence for why women should have confidence in the safety of calcium continues to grow,” said Andrea Wong, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). “The benefits of calcium occur at every life stage, but because of the natural loss of calcium that occurs as we age, getting enough of this essential nutrient is especially important for the older populations, who are at risk for falls and fractures. Post-menopausal women can confidently take calcium supplements if getting enough calcium from the diet is not possible.”

“While food-derived calcium is the optimal source to achieve the recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium, in cases where this RDI cannot be reached from food sources alone the use of long-term calcium supplementation with vitamin D in older women should be considered,” the study authors reported.

1 Lewis JR, Radavelli-Bagatini S, Rejnmark L, et al. The Effects of Calcium Supplementation on Verified Coronary Heart Disease Hospitalization and Death in Postmenopausal Women: A Collaborative Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Bone Miner Res. 2014; July 10 (Published online ahead of print).
2 Paik JM, Curhan GC, Sun Q, et al. Calcium supplement intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in women. Osteoporos Int. 2014; May 7 (Published online ahead of print).
3 Prentice RL, Pettinger MB, Jackson RD, et al. Health risks and benefits from calcium and vitamin D supplementation: Women’s Health Initiative clinical trial and cohort study. Osteoporos Int. 2013; 24(2):567-580
4 Downing L, Islam MA. Influence of calcium supplements on the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2013; 70(13):1132-9
5 Samelson EJ, Booth SL, Fox CS, et al. Calcium intake is not associated with increased coronary artery calcification: the Framingham Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 96(6):1274-80