Calcium supplements taken by many older people could be increasing their risk of a heart attack, research shows.
The study, in the British Medical Journal, said people who took supplements were 30% more likely to have a heart attack.
Data from 11 trials also suggested the medicines were not very effective at preventing bone fractures.
Almost 3m people in the UK are thought to have osteoporosis and many take calcium pills to prevent fractures.
The study recommends doctors review their use of calcium supplements for managing osteoporosis.
The National Osteoporosis Society said most people should be able to get enough calcium through their diets, rather than reaching for the medicine cabinet.
The researchers said those who had a diet naturally high in calcium were at no increased danger.
It was the way supplements increase the levels of calcium circulating in the blood which appeared to have an adverse effect on the cardiovascular system.
Experts believe higher blood levels lead to hardening of the arteries, which can cause heart attacks.
The Food Standards Agency recommends adults have 700mg of calcium a day, which should come from dietary sources including milk, cheese and green, leafy vegetables.
The study excluded patients who were taking both calcium and vitamin D supplements.
Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium.
The researchers called for a rethink on giving people calcium supplements for bone health, but drew back from advising osteoporosis patients to stop taking them.
They said: ‘Given the modest benefits of calcium supplements on bone density and fracture prevention, a reassessment of the role of calcium supplements in the management of osteoporosis is warranted.’
Dr Alison Avenell, a clinical senior lecturer at Aberdeen University, who carried out the largest trial, said people had to weigh up the risks and benefits. She said: ‘It is a balance of risks. People should consider the risks and how they apply to their own circumstances and discuss the matter with their GP.
‘It is also important to remember that the results of this study, predominantly with people aged over 50, do not necessarily apply to younger people with medical conditions that require calcium supplementation.’
Dr Claire Bowring of the National Osteoporosis Society said: ‘We’ve always recommended that people should aim to get the calcium that they need from their diet to help build stronger bones.’
She said people with low dietary levels of calcium should only ‘top up’ with supplements to recommended levels.
She also advised people taking osteoporosis treatments not to stop taking calcium without seeing their doctor.
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August 25th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Vitamin D insufficiency is a risk factor for a number of diseases and thus, is a growing concern worldwide, as approximately one billion people may be vitamin D deficient. However, the biological basis for vitamin D deficiency predisposing to disease is poorly understood. In a report published online in Genome Research, scientists have mapped the molecular interactions of the vitamin D receptor genome-wide, finding novel connections of vitamin D with genes related to autoimmune disease and cancer.
Vitamin D deficiency, resulting from either lack of sun exposure or poor dietary intake, is increasingly being recognized as a risk factor for a number of serious illnesses, and has been linked with autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Yet exactly how vitamin D is involved in disease is largely unknown. Researchers suspect that genetics could be contributing to the connection.
Vitamin D exerts its effects on genes through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which binds to specific locations of the genome to influence gene expression. An international team of researchers from the United Kingdom and Canada have now mapped sites of VDR binding, information they can then use to identify disease-related genes that vitamin D might influence.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198024.php