Calcium Supplements Increased CVD Risk in Men
The use of calcium supplements among men increased their risk of heart disease by 20%, according to data published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The same risk was not found in women examined in the study. The authors point out that, given the extensive use of supplemental calcium in the United States, it is essential to assess the long-term effects of the practice beyond bone health.
Researchers, led by Qian Xiao, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute, examined information from 388,229 men and women aged 50 to 71 years from the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study. The researchers were looking to established whether increased dietary or supplemental calcium intake was linked with mortality from cardiovascular disease, heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases.
After 12 years of follow-up, 7,904 CVD deaths occurred in men and 3,874 occurred in women. Of these groups, 51% of the men and 70% of the women had used calcium supplements. Men with an intake of 1,000 mg of calcium or more had an increased risk for CVD (risk ratio=1.20; 95% CI, 1.05-1.36) compared with men who did not take calcium supplements.
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