Mayo Clinic Findings - Calcium....FYI

Hi BOTTers,

I received this and wanted to share with you:

We wanted to let you know about new data presented this week (June 10, 2009) at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Washington DC. Doctors from the Mayo clinic looked at 97 patients from the past 20 years who have had bariatric surgery. They found that 21 of these patients had suffered a total of 31 fractures. Most fractures occurred an average of 7 years after surgery, with the primary locations being in the hands and feet. Other sites of fractures were the hip, spine and upper arm.

There are many risks for fracture in adults including age, gender, ethnicity, smoking and alcohol use, diseases like type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, and use of medications such as steroids, antidepressants, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). But nutrition is also a serious risk. Inadequate calcium intake and poor vitamin D status are significant factors in the ability to maintain bone health after bariatric surgery.

The ASMBS recommended intakes for calcium after bariatric surgery are as follows:

Adjustable Gastric Band (AGB): 1500mg calcium
Gastric Bypass (RNY): 1500 to 1800mg calcium as calcium citrate
Duodenal Switch (DS): 1800 to 2400mg calcium as calcium citrate

These recommendations are for calcium intake over and above dietary intake. While it may sound like a lot it is terribly important that your body gets the amount of calcium it needs. You need calcium to keep your heart beating and your brain functioning (as well as for other things). So when the body does not get enough coming in each day, it takes calcium from your bones to supply it to the heart and brain. People will often not know this until they actually break a bone.

Generally, the ASMBS recommends that AGB and RNY patients get 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D3 daily and that DS patients get 2000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. There is a lot of data indicating that vitamin D deficiency is very common both before and after surgery, and that many patients require higher doses of D3 based on their lab findings. If you have not had your vitamin D levels tested, it is a good idea to know what they are. Your doctor or dietitian can help you determine the amount of vitamin D you need to take based on this test.

To read more about the Mayo Clinic findings, you can click on the links below:

Mayo Clinic press release: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2009-rst/5312.html
Article in Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124420.htm

I read this too.  I'm so glad Dr. Lord has always had me on the recommended level of calcium.  I have never had any indication that I have a bone problem - not even osteoporosis - which at age 76 I think is remarkable.

Thanks Cathy for the update.

My daily calcium is 2500mg
My daily vit D is 1600iu

These are my supplement intakes over and above my dietary intake. My next Dr visit I am going to ask for a Vit D level.

Wayne,

I'm usually a luker, but I just have to ask, what kind of calcium are you taking?  If I took 2500mg of 'pills', I would never have enough room in my pouch for any type of food....my gosh.  I'm up to 1800 mg and that's 9 petite calcium citrates citrical and I just can't do it anymore.  I have to find something else...

thanks!

Shelley

I take the Walgreens brand Maximum Dose Calium Citrate +D. I take 2 pills around 11am and two more around 3pm. Just make sure your calcium and iron are at least 2 hours apart. The pills are a little bigger, but I dont have an issue swollowing them. Good Luck!!

thanks for responding Wayne....So 4 pills give you 2500 mg of calcium??  Wow...I'll have to check that out.  I would have to split them...

p.s.  It was 'cute' how you advised me on how to take the calcium and iron!!!  I chuckled....  but I guess you have no idea if I know that or not!!! 

hmmmm....I thought I found the right ones on the website, but that wasn't citrate.  I'll have to stop at Walgreens after work. 

Thanks again, Wayne!  You saved me!

shelley