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Effects of calcium intake on the cardiovascular system in postmenopausal women.

Atherosclerosis
November 1, 2013
D Challoumas et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to review the current literature on the effects of calcium intake in postmenopausal women, focusing on cardiovascular parameters and fracture prevention.

Results Summary

The study found mixed results regarding calcium's effects on cardiovascular health, with some reports of adverse effects like increased myocardial infarction and stroke rates, while others showed no effects or benefits. Calcium supplementation had modest effects on reducing fracture rates.

Population

Postmenopausal women

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
calcium supplements
increase
use for the prevention of complications of osteoporosis
-
-
significantly increased
#1
calcium intake
increase
cardiovascular parameters
women with low dietary calcium intake
-
transient beneficial effects
#2
calcium supplementation
increase
high-density lipoprotein
postmenopausal women
-
significant increases
#3
calcium supplementation
increase
high-density lipoprotein to low-density lipoprotein ratio
postmenopausal women
-
significant increases
#4
increased calcium intake
increase
rates of myocardial infarction and stroke
postmenopausal women
-
adverse effects
#5
calcium intake
no change
cardiovascular events
postmenopausal women
-
no effects
#6
calcium intake
increase
cardiovascular events
postmenopausal women
-
beneficial outcomes
#7
calcium supplementation
decrease
fracture rates
postmenopausal women
-
modest effect in reducing
#8
Abstract

The use of calcium supplements for the prevention of complications of osteoporosis has significantly increased during the last years. The effects of calcium intake in postmenopausal women on cardiovascular parameters such as blood pressure, serum lipids and cardiovascular events are controversial. Even though transient beneficial effects of calcium supplementation have been reported, especially in women with low dietary calcium intake, their long-term outcomes are inconclusive. Only a very few studies investigating serum lipids in postmenopausal women have been described and these showed significant increases in high-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein to low-density lipoprotein ratio. With regards to cardiovascular events in this population group adverse effects have been reported on the rates of myocardial infarction and stroke with increased calcium intake by some authors, however, others described no effects or even beneficial outcomes. We present a review of the current literature which provides a balanced summary of the possible beneficial and adverse effects of calcium intake in postmenopausal women on cardiovascular parameters. Taking into account the modest effect of calcium supplementation in reducing fracture rates, a reassessment of the role, benefits and adverse effects of calcium supplements should be conducted in postmenopausal women.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdolescentAdultBlood PressureCalcium, DietaryCardiovascular DiseasesCardiovascular SystemFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMyocardial InfarctionOsteoporosisPostmenopausePregnancyRisk FactorsStroke
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety60
Efficacy50/10
Quality70/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations12
Citations/Year1.0
Relative Citation Ratio0.45
NIH Percentile24.1%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score1.35
Normalized Score0.58
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Effects of calcium intake on the cardiovascular system in po... | Panacea Index