Debunking previous theories, a new study found no link between calcium supplement consumption and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases among women.
Previous studies have highlighted that the regular consumption of calcium supplements may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially in women, by more than 30 percent. A new study debunked this theory, stating that the evidence found by these studies were "inconsistent."
"Our study has several distinct strengths compared to prior studies including the large number of participants, long-term follow-up, large number of cardiovascular events that were confirmed by medical record review, detailed information about diet and other cardiovascular disease risk factors, and repeated assessment of calcium supplement use over the 24-year follow up period," said Julie Paik, lead study author, in a statement.
For the study, researchers examined 74,245 women who were part of the Nurses' Health Study. The study authors recorded calcium supplement usage and incident cardiovascular disease among all these participants. None of them had any cardiovascular disease or any form of cancer at the start of the study. The study was conducted for 24 years and researchers assessed each participant's calcium supplement usage every four years. During the 24 years of follow-up, there were 2,709 heart attacks and 1,856 strokes.
Researchers noted that the women who consumed calcium supplements had lower Trans fat, smoked less and were more physically active than women who didn't take any such supplements.
"Based on our findings, additional prospective cohort studies examining potential cardiovascular disease risk associated with calcium supplement use are needed," said Paik. "Future randomized trials of calcium supplementation, if conducted, should be designed to optimize assessment of cardiovascular events."
Like all other supplements, calcium supplements have also received its fair share of bad press. Though many supplements claim to have health benefits, experts are quite skeptical about these claims.
Too much of Anything Is Bad
Unfortunately, many Americans are of the misconception that every health problem can be solved with a pill. There's no denying that many illnesses can be cured by proper medication, but there is still a medical dictionary full of ailments that continue to plague people despite the best efforts of supplements and other pills.
Chris Kresser, a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of integrative medicine, published an interesting blog highlighting why one needs to think twice before taking calcium supplements.
Calcium ensures great bone health. Osteoporosis is an increasingly prevalent and costly condition in the United States, the prevalence is exacerbated due to the aging society of the country. Just last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report suggesting that the number of U.S. adults aged above 65 years will cross the 80 million mark by 2050, a number that is double of what it is now.
Earlier this year, the United States Preventive Services Task Force reviewed 135 studies and concluded that said there was little evidence that calcium supplements prevent fractures in healthy women.
Taking into consideration all that's been written about the consumption of supplements, it's safe to say that the quality and quantity of products consumed play an essential role in determining whether they have a positive or negative effect on the body. Also, this effect many differ from person to person, depending on a variety of factors including age, lifestyle habits and history of ailments.
The current study was funded by National Institutes of Health and published online in Osteoporosis International.
