Calcium supplements increase risk of heart attack

Important research was just published in the British Medical Journal that adds more weight to the evidence that calcium supplementation is poorly advised for osteoporosis. The authors' intent was to:

"...investigate whether calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular events."

They undertook a meta-analysis of cardiovascular events mined from a massive amount of data accumulated in numerous randomised trials of calcium supplements. When the numbers were crunched a 30% increase in myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) was associated with the calcium supplementation. Their conclusion is compelling:

"Calcium supplements (without coadministered vitamin D) are associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction. As calcium supplements are widely used these modest increases in risk of cardiovascular disease might translate into a large burden of disease in the population. A reassessment of the role of calcium supplements in the management of osteoporosis is warranted."

This is not surprising if you know that calcium has a competitive edge over magnesium for absorption. Magnesium is critically important for supporting parasympathetic nervous system tone and healthy heart rate variability. It has also been  called "nature's calcium channel blocker" (a class of medications used to treat coronary artery spasm). Moreover, osteoporosis is not a calcium deficiency disorder—it is a problem of calcium utilization due to inflammation and an associated dysregulated hormonal milieu. The authors of an accompanying editorial in the same journal state:

"In the meantime, on the basis of the limited evidence available, patients with osteoporosis should generally not be treated with calcium supplements, either alone or combined with vitamin D, unless they are also receiving an effective treatment for osteoporosis for a recognised indication. Research on whether such supplements are needed as an adjunct to effective agents is urgently required."