Calcium supplementation and cardiovascular risk: A rising concern.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of calcium supplementation, particularly its association with cardiovascular health, compared to dietary calcium intake.
Results Summary
The study found that calcium supplementation is associated with adverse cardiovascular events and increased mortality, while dietary calcium intake has a protective effect on cardiovascular health. The mechanism behind these adverse effects was recently clarified in a related study.
Population
Not specified (general population inferred).
Effective Dosage
Not specified.
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
calcium supplementation | decrease | osteoporosis | - | - | established role in the prevention and treatment | #1 |
calcium supplementation | decrease | fractures | - | - | role in the prevention | #2 |
calcium supplementation | decrease | nonskeletal, especially cardiovascular, health | - | - | adverse effect | #3 |
calcium supplementation | increase | adverse cardiovascular events | - | - | association | #4 |
high dietary calcium intake | decrease | cardiovascular events | - | - | protective effect | #5 |
calcium supplementation | increase | cardiovascular mortality | - | - | association | #6 |
calcium supplementation | increase | all-cause mortality | - | - | association | #7 |
Over the past decade, the number of individuals taking calcium supplementation worldwide has been on the rise, especially with the emergence of new pharmaceutical companies specialized in the marketing of dietary supplements; with calcium supplementation being their main business axis. This is mostly because of the established role of calcium in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and, to a lesser extent, its role in the prevention of fractures. Recently, a rising body of evidence on the adverse effect of calcium supplementation on nonskeletal, especially cardiovascular, health has been a cause for concern. In fact, a significant number of studies have reported an association between calcium supplementation and adverse cardiovascular events, even though high dietary calcium intake was shown to have a protective effect. The mechanism by which calcium supplementation could cause a cardiovascular event was still unclear until a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Combining this recent finding with available data associating calcium supplementation with cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality, we call on the need for an evidence-based approach to calcium supplementation, while stressing on the safety of dietary calcium intake over the former on cardiovascular health.