calcium might threaten heart health?

Read this today and confess that I'm a bit worried, with all the calcium supplementation we're supposed to be doing for life.

Source: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/New-analysis-slams- calcium-supplements-over-heart-problems?utm_source=AddThisWe b&utm_medium=SocialAddThis&utm_campaign=SocialMedia

Quoting:

"The new data, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that calcium supplements – when taken with, or without vitamin D – may increase the risk of heart attack by 25 per cent, and the risk of stroke by 15 per cent. The new findings back up the results of an earlier meta-analysis that suggested calcium supplementation could have more risks than benefits .

 

Professor Ian Reid, senior author of the study, told NutraIngredients that the new data provides “a significant body of evidence that says there is a concern.”

 

“When we do the calculations from these 29,000 people, we find that for every thousand people we give calcium to for five years, we cause six heart attacks and we prevent three fractures,” said Reid." 

 

I guess everything is a trade-off, eh? 

Now I don't feel so guilty for not taking any!! Thanks

Doesn't it say there are only problems if you don't take it with Vit D?

Hmm, I thought I read that it didn't matter if we took it with or without Vit D? I hope you're right. I'll give it a re-read...

 Thank you for posting this.  I need to take it, but my husband mostly takes it because they taste good. I just told him to lay off my calcium as it could increase his risk of heart attacks.  Scary stuff.

Yeah... as WLS patients we're kind of stuck taking the calcium, but people who pop vitamins because marketing or whomever says so might want to think twice. I certainly look forward to further research and debate on this.

this worries me, too, but I don't feel I know enough about it.  I will say if doctors are saying supplements have more risks than benefits they are talking about the general population, NOT WLS patients.

but I'd like to know more about this. I'll bet MacMadame will show up...hope!

I saw this, and it's kind of scary. Since I have osteoporosis and can no longer take biophosphonates or one of the newer drugs, this is BAD news. I actually have an appointment with my endocrinologist on Friday, and I'm going to ask his opinion on this--I'll let you know what his views are...

Lizanne

Let us know if your doctor has heard anything about this. And don't fret too much--if you need the supplements, the benefits probably outweigh the risks, and we obviously need more studies on this subject. Hopefully this will prompt researchers NOT Paid by the supplement industry to look into it.

I think WLS patients pretty much have to weigh the risks vs benefits on this issue, and are going to end up in the "I have a higher risk of fractures than I do heart attacks", and therefore keep taking calcium. I know that I will have to continue taking it all my life.

ONE caveat in the study, though...it appears that they studied calcium carbonate and not calcium citrate--it *could* be a factor. We obviously need more studies, but it's *entirely possible* that only calcium carbonate causes any heart issues.