High Calcium Intake Linked With Heart Disease
A new BMJ study suggests that older women who take large amounts of calcium may be at increased risk of heart disease and death, according to this article from The New York Times.
By following 61,433 women born between 1914 and 1948 for an average of 19 years and confirming causes of death, Swedish researchers also used questionnaires to record the women's food and calcium supplement intake.
Researchers controlled for physical activity, education, smoking, alcohol and other dietary factors, and still found that women who consumed 1,400 milligrams or more of calcium a day had more than double the risk of death from heart disease, compared with those with intakes between 600 and 1,000 milligrams. These women also had a 49 percent higher rate of death from cardiovascular disease, and a 40 percent higher risk of death from any cause.