(July 29, 2010 - Insidermedicine)

According to research published in the British Medical Journal, calcium supplements have been linked to developing a heart attack.

Here are some important things to consider if you are considering taking calcium supplements

- Calcium supplementation may be recommended if you are diagnosed with osteoporosis or deemed to be at high risk for this condition.  Taking calcium supplements may lower the the chance of developing a broken bone.  While calcium is frequently taken for those over the age of 50 years, it may raise the risk of calcification of blood vessels and may raise the risk of dying if you are a dialysis patient.

- The raised risk of calcium supplementation may be due to calcium depositing in the blood vessel wall. This could impede proper blood flow to the heart muscle.

- Symptoms that indicate that you may be having a heart attack include severe chest pain that may or may not radiate into the shoulder, arm or hand or the sensation of chest tightness or squeezing. If you have these symptoms, it is critial that you seek emergent medical attention, because reseach has shown that interventions like angioplasty when delivered urgently can lower the chance of fatality.

To perform their study, researchers from the University of Auckland performed a meta-analysis by combining the results of 11 well-designed studies that had been previously published in the medical literature. These studies collectively contained over 12000 patients who were receiving calcium supplementation without vitamin D. These results showed that those taking calcium had a 30% higher risk of developing a heart attack.  There was also a trend towards a higher risk for stroke. For every 1000 patients on calcium supplements, an additional 14 heart attacks and 10 strokes would occur, and an addition 26 fractures would be prevented.

Today's research raises the question of whether or not elderly people should routinely be taking supplemental calcium to prevent osteoporosis.