Could calcium supplements increase heart attack?
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PrintA recent review of 15 different trials, suggests that treating 1000 people with calcium for 5 years would prevent 26 fractures but cause an additional 14 heart attacks. This information comes from the article: "Rethinking Calcium: Bone Health or Heartache?" by Sandra A. Fryhofer, MD in Medscape Internal Medicine 10-25-10.
It is important to read on, to get the full story.
None of the trials reviewed had people taking calcium plus Vit D. This is important to know because The Women's Health Inititative evaluation of combined calcium and Vit D, found no effect on heart attack. And a systematic review in Annals of Internal Medicine suggest that Vit D may reduce cardiovascular risk. So we have to wonder if the authors would have come to a different conclusion if Vit D had been given with the calcium.
Supplements of calcium could be dangerous, but calcium you get from the food you eat has not shown any increase in heart attack risk. Getting enough calcium from your diet is the best way to have strong bones and teeth without the heart health risk.
Where can you get calcium? It is not just in your dairy products.
- Milk
- low fat yogurt
- cheese
- soy milk
- vegetables: acorn squash, broccoli, okra, kale, spinich
- fruits: figs, calcium-fortified orange juice
- nuts: sesame seeds, almonds
- fish: canned mackerel, sardines
