Calcium supplementation and cardiovascular risk: A rising concern

Here’s an article in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension that discusses overdoing calcium supplements. They recommend that we get our calcium from food in our diets, and if you do supplement, follow the medical guidelines: The Institute of Medicine’s guideline-recommended daily allowance for calcium intake is 1000 mg/d for men aged 18 to 70 years and women aged 18 to 50 years and 1200 mg/d for men 70 years and older and women 50 years and older.


MAY 04, 2017

The Journal of Clinical Hypertension

Tankeu AT, et al. – A recently found evidence suggesting the adverse impact of calcium supplementation on cardiovascular health was the trigger for the execution of this study. Researchers wished to shed light on this emerging topic and therefore, they studied the available evidence. After analyzing the data they called on the need for an evidence–based approach to calcium supplementation while stressing on the safety of dietary calcium intake over the former on cardiovascular health.

Recent Findings

  • Calcium supplementation is a progressively increasing trend these days, especially due to its established role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and, to a lesser extent, its role in the prevention of fractures.
  • Researchers have found current evidence on the adverse effect of calcium supplementation on nonskeletal, especially cardiovascular health.
  • As a matter of fact, a link between calcium supplementation and adverse cardiovascular events has been highlighted in a significant number of studies, however, high dietary calcium intake was shown to have a protective effect.
  • Mechanism underlying this adverse cardiovascular impact was still unclear until a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Full Text Article