Do you take calcium supplements? A lot of people do. Yet, a report published October 10th in the Journal of the American Heart Association adds to growing scientific concerns about the potential harms of supplements, and the researchers urge a consultation with a knowledgeable physician before using calcium supplements.
After analyzing 10 years of medical tests on more than 2,700 people in a federally funded heart disease study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and elsewhere conclude that taking calcium in the form of supplements may raise the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage, although a diet high in calcium-rich foods appears to be protective.
The researchers caution that their work only documents an association between calcium supplements and atherosclerosis, and does not prove cause and effect. As a person ages, calcium-based plaque builds up in the body’s main blood vessel, the aorta and other arteries, impeding blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attack.
Erin Michos, MD, MHS, associate director of preventive cardiology for the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease says there is a growing body of evidence that suggests no health benefit, or even worse, that calcium supplements may be harmful.”
For more information on calcium supplements and your heart, visit:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/calcium-supplements-should-you-take-them
Good to know. I take Calcium tablets every day.