US Pharm. 2016;41(11):16.
Baltimore, MD—After analyzing 10 years of medical tests and questionnaire data in >2,700 participants in a long-running multiethnic study of atherosclerosis, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and other institutions have concluded that taking calcium supplements may raise the risk of arterial-plaque buildup and heart damage. Participants were aged 45 to 84 years, and 51% were female. Supplement-takers had a 22% greater likelihood of an increase >0 in their coronary artery calcium test scores over the decade, but participants with the highest dietary calcium intake (>1,022 mg/day) exhibited no increased risk of developing heart disease over this period. The researchers note that their findings merely document an association between calcium supplements and atherosclerosis and do not prove cause and effect.
To comment on this article, contact rdavidson@uspharmacist.com.
