UK study supports cardiovascular safety of calcium and vitamin D supplementation

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/iof-uss041216.php

Public Release: 16-Apr-2016
UK study supports cardiovascular safety of calcium and vitamin D supplementation
Study presented at WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2016 finds no link between calcium supplementation, with or without vitamin D, and hospital admissions or mortality due to cardiovascular events
International Osteoporosis Foundation

UK researchers have presented a new study that supports the cardiovascular safety of calcium and vitamin D supplementation. The study was based on analysis of the UK Biobank, a very large study comprising 502,664 men and women aged 40-69 years.

Of the total UK Biobank participants, 34,890 individuals (6.94%) reported taking calcium supplements, 20,004 taking vitamin D supplements, and 10,406 taking both (2.1%). The researchers found no associations between the use of calcium supplements and hospital admissions related to ischaemic heart disease (e.g. heart attacks), any cardiovascular event, or death following admission for either admission category. Results were similar for vitamin D and combination supplementation.

Furthemore, regardless of whether participants had a history of cardiovascular disease or not at baseline, calcium supplementation (with or without vitamin D) did not increase the risk of future cardiac events, findings which remained robust after other factors such as age, fatness, medication use and blood pressure were considered.

•••••