More research is linking calcium supplements to an increased risk of heart attacks in women, and experts say obtaining calcium from the diet may be a safer way to try and preserve bone health.
Dr. Ian Reid, a lead author on a study published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, said the research has resulted in a lack of consensus regarding calcium supplement recommendations, according to a Health Day story.
"Our own recommendation is to critically review the use of calcium supplements, since the data in this paper suggests that they do more harm than good," said Reid, who is professor of medicine and endocrinology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
"The cautious way forward seems to be to encourage people to obtain their calcium from the diet, rather than from supplements, since food calcium has not been shown to carry this increased risk of heart disease," Reid added.
Many older women take calcium supplements, with or without vitamin D, to help stave off osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease. This practice follows long-standing medical advice and reflects results from a large U.S. study that didn’t find a connection between calcium and heart risk.
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