Study Finds No Link Between Calcium Intake and Heart Disease Risk

Intake of calcium supplements do not raise the risk of coronary artery calcification, new research finds. The study thus assures adults who take take calcium supplements for bone health that the supplements do not appear to result in the development of calcification of blood vessels.

Researchers of a new study have revealed that they have found no evidence of a link between calcium intake and coronary artery calcification, reassuring adults who take calcium supplements for bone health that the supplements do not appear to result in the development of calcification of blood vessels.

Calcium and Vitamin Supplements
Calcium and vitamin supplements are taken to provide the body with the ''required'' nutrients. Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Vitamins are very important nutrients for the body.

Researchers at the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS), found that study participants who had the highest calcium intake, from diet or supplements or both, had the same coronary artery calcification score as those who had the lowest calcium intake.

The coronary artery calcification score represents the severity of calcified plaque clogging the arteries in the heart and is an independent predictor of heart attack.

"This study addresses a critical question about the association between calcium intake and a clinically measurable indicator of atherosclerosis in older adults," said Elizabeth (Lisa) Samelson, Ph.D., associate scientist at IFAR and an assistant professor at HMS and the lead author of the study.

Quiz on Healthy Heart
Heart disease is a major killer worldwide in spite of major strides in the medical field in terms of research, diagnosis, treatment and pharmacology. HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease are vying for popular attention these days and people tend to sideline or neglect healthy heart awareness. Take our quiz and refresh your awareness on heart disease.

"There was no increased risk of calcified arteries with higher amounts of calcium intake from food or supplements," she stated.

In recent years, reports have raised concern regarding a potential adverse effect of calcium supplements on risk of heart attack. However, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that evidence from clinical trials does not support an adverse effect of calcium intake on risk of cardiovascular disease.

Tamarind - The Calcium Pump
Tamarind is a tropical fruit with plenty of health benefits. Consumption of a tamarind beverage, sherbet, can easily meet the daily calcium recommendations and help keep bones and joints healthy.

They recommended the following guidelines for calcium intake considered safe and effective for bone health: 1,200 mg per day of calcium for women over 50 and men over 70 and 1,000 mg per day for men between 50 and 70. The guidelines say supplementation can be used if the minimum requirements are not being met through diet.

The new study reassures people who take calcium at levels within the recommended guidelines for bone health that they can continue to do so safely, without worrying about the risk of calcifying their arteries, according to Samelson.

An Active Heart
The heart pumps blood constantly providing the power to sustain life.

However, "it is critically important that each individual discuss with a health care provider whether the recommendations are appropriate given his or her personal medical history."

The study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Source-ANI