Do Calcium Supplements Cause Heart Attacks?

They might, if you’re a woman over 50 taking over 500 mg elemental calcium daily without a vitamin D supplement.

Details are at my recent Self/NutritionData Heart Health Blog post.

Steve Parker, M.D.

2 Comments

Filed under coronary heart disease

2 responses to “Do Calcium Supplements Cause Heart Attacks?

  1. What about dairy? I’m not aware of any negative association with mortality directly.

  2. Nor am I, Isaac.

    The authors of the study I reviewed would favor milk as a source of calcium over calcium supplements without Vitamin D. They speculate that calcium supplements (without D) cause a spike in serum calcium level that promotes atherosclerosis and calcium deposition in plaque.