If you take a daily calcium supplement, you should probably talk to your doctor. A study done in 2010 showed an increased risk of having a heart attack among those who took calcium daily. While the risk might be justified for some people, many others have decided the risk simply wasn't worth it.
Many people, particularly the elderly and the aging, take daily calcium supplements. Calcium is a leading mineral in bone health, and some take the supplement to help prevent osteoporosis or to strengthen bones at any age. The benefits of taking the calcium is one that's a bit controversial, as some doctors highly recommend supplements while others feel they do little good. The results of the study might sway some toward avoiding the recommendation of supplements in the future.
The average age of the close to 12,000 participants was 72, with more than half of them being women. To prove a cause between calcium supplements and heart attacks, the participants were split up and given either a placebo or calcium supplement. About 2.7% of those who took the calcium supplement had a heart attack during the four-year study, compared to the 2.2% of people who took the placebo. While .5% might seem like a negligible difference to most of us, the researchers thought it to be significant.
Many people take calcium daily to boost their overall health, and it is included in almost all multi-vitamin and mineral supplements that people take daily. Even if the increased risk of a heart attack is a small one, that daily calcium usage could be contributing to a number of heart attacks among all age groups.
While the researchers don't yet understand what about the calcium supplements actually contributed to the heart attacks, they believe the statistics are reason enough to avoid taking calcium unless it's medically necessary for another reason, which is rare. And many doctors don't believe that taking calcium will affect osteoporosis or bone health enough to warrant the risk.
They do make a point of telling people not to avoid calcium in their diets, altogether. Dietary calcium is necessary for good health and shouldn't be limited. It's the supplements themselves that seem to have the negative effect, which surprised many scientists. Previous studies had shown that calcium supplements were healthy and may have even had a protective effect in the body.
The final result of the study led researchers to state that older people who were taking about 500 mg of calcium per day may be increasing their risk of having a heart attack by 30%. If you take a calcium supplement, you should talk to your doctor and find out if the true potential benefits are worth that increased risk.
It is important to note though, that people who also take vitamin D supplements, a vitamin that reacts with calcium and encourages its absorption, were not included in the study. Some people take the combination for specific health reasons and shouldn't stop before talking to their doctor. Whether or not the calcium might increase risk of heart attack in these patients hasn't been determined.
For most people, it still might be best to get calcium the old-fashioned way. Make sure you eat a diet rich in low-fat dairy, fruits and vegetables.
Cole Watts is a writer and contributor to 4-Medical-Supplies.com. 4MedicalSupples is an online retailer of Stair Lifts, Vertical Platform Lifts, Lift Chairs and much more.
