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Clinical Updates
Calcium Supplements
Caution With Calcium and Antacids
June 06, 2023
Getting too much calcium from supplements and/or over-the-counter antacids can cause dangerously high blood levels of calcium, as highlighted in a recent report. Get the details in the Concerns and Cautions section of our Calcium Supplements Review.
Also find out how much calcium is enough, and how much is too much, based on age and gender, in the ConsumerTips section of the Review.
Calcium Absorption
February 24, 2023
How does the absorption of calcium lactate compare to that of other forms of calcium, such as calcium citrate and calcium carbonate? Find out in the What to Consider When Buying section of our Calcium Supplements Review, which also includes our Top Picks for calcium.
Strontium and Blood Tests
February 07, 2023
Strontium is included in some "bone health" supplements, but be aware that very high doses of strontium may interfere with blood tests for calcium and bone density scans. Get the details in the Concerns and Cautions section of our Calcium and Bone Health Supplements Review, which includes our Top Picks among products.
Also see: Which vitamins and supplements should be stopped before getting blood work and laboratory tests?
Proton Pump Inhibitors & Calcium
January 06, 2023
Can taking a PPI drug such as Prilosec (omeprazole), Prevacid, or Nexium, reduce the absorption of calcium? The answer is yes, but there are ways to minimize this problem, as discussed in our Calcium Supplements Review.
Calcium & Synthroid
October 04, 2022
Which forms of calcium interfere with the absorption of levothyroxine (Synthroid)? Find out in the updated Concerns and Cautions section of our Calcium Supplements Review.
Taking Calcium Poses Risk to Some
May 03, 2022
Supplementing with calcium appears to pose a higher risk of death for people with existing narrowing of the aorta. Get the details in the Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease section of our Calcium Supplements Review.
Some Foods Provide Less Calcium Than You Think
January 03, 2022
You may not be getting as much calcium from certain foods as you think due to natural compounds that reduce calcium absorption. Find out which foods are most affected in our Calcium Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks for calcium supplements.
Reducing Risk of Fractures & Falls With Milk, Cheese and Yogurt?
October 25, 2021
Can increasing calcium and protein intake from foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt reduce the risk of fractures and falls in older men and women? See what a new study found in the Bone Health and Fractures section of our Calcium Supplements Review.
Hip Fracture Risk With Vegan Diet
August 09, 2021
Does following a vegan diet increase the risk of hip fracture in middle-aged and older women, and does supplementing with calcium and vitamin D help? See what a recent study found in the "What It Does" sections of our Calcium Supplements Review and Vitamin D Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks among calcium supplements and vitamin D supplements.
Calcium, Vitamin D & Heart Risk
July 20, 2021
Does taking vitamin D reduce the cardiovascular risks associated with calcium supplementation? See what a new study found in the Concerns and Cautions section of our Calcium Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks among calcium supplements.
Caution With TUMS
September 21, 2020
A man who took several TUMS to treat heartburn was recently reported to have developed hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood), as noted in the Concerns and Cautions section of the Calcium Supplements Review. Learn about getting the right amount of calcium and see our Top Picks among calcium supplements.
Calcium & Artery Calcification
August 24, 2020
Is there an increased risk of coronary artery calcification with the use of calcium supplements? Find out what a recent analysis showed in the Heart Attack and Stroke Risk section of the Calcium Supplements Review. Plus, learn how much calcium one needs per day and how much, if any, can come from supplements. Also see our Top Picks for calcium.
A Role for Calcium in COVID-19?
June 08, 2020
A preliminary study suggests a possible role for calcium supplementation in treating COVID-19. See the details in the COVID-19 section of the Calcium Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks among calcium supplements.
Should Women Take Calcium?
October 21, 2019
Do women reduce bone loss and the risk of fractures if they take a calcium supplement? See what a recent study showed in the What It Does section of the Calcium Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks for calcium supplements.
Calcium Supplements and Macular Degeneration
March 22, 2019
Two large studies have sought to determine if there is an association between calcium supplementation and the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). See what they found in the What It Does section of the Calcium Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks among calcium supplements.
Caution With Calcium & Medications
November 26, 2018
Which supplement was most likely to cause drug interactions for seniors in a recent study? Calcium. Learn more about potential drug interactions with calcium in the Concerns and Cautions section of the Calcium Supplements Review.
Don't Take Calcium With Thyroid Hormone
October 28, 2018
A study showed negative effects of taking calcium too soon after taking levothyroxine (Synthroid). For details on how to safely take this combination, see the update in the Concerns and Cautions section of the Calcium Supplements Review. (Also see our Top Picks for calcium.)
Calcium and Colon Polyp Risk
March 01, 2018
A large study evaluated the effects of taking calcium and/or vitamin D on the risk of developing precancerous colorectal polyps in people with previous polyps. While there was no effect during the study, a follow up study is now showing much higher rates of polyps among those who had taken certain supplements. Get the details in the What It Does section of the Calcium Supplements Review.
Stroke Risk with Calcium
May 23, 2017
A new study shows that high-dose calcium supplements may double the risk of stroke in men and women. The risk of heart attack is also increased, as shown in other studies. However, there are ways to take calcium without this risk and still get bone health benefits. For details, see the "Concerns and Cautions" section of the Calcium Supplements Review >>
Heart Concern With Calcium Supplements
October 12, 2016
A study of American men and women found an increased risk of coronary artery calcification (atherosclerosis) among those who used calcium supplements compared to those who did not, despite the fact that higher total daily calcium intake was associated with a decreased risk of calcification. Other studies point in a similar direction, as described in the "Concerns and Cautions" section of the Calcium Supplements Review >>
Calcium Supplements & Risk of Dementia
August 19, 2016
Taking calcium supplements is associated with an increased risk of dementia in certain elderly women, according to a new study. Get the details in the "Cautions and Concerns" section of the Calcium Supplements Review >>
Headlines Saying "Vitamin D and Calcium Don't Prevent Colon Cancer" Are Not Quite Right
October 16, 2015
A study released this week found that vitamin D and calcium supplements did not reduce the risk of developing colorectal polyps in people prone to them. A closer look at the study, however, suggests that this may not be true for everyone. Get the details in the update in the Vitamin D Supplements Review >> and the Calcium Supplements Review >>
Calcium Supplements Increase Kidney Stone Growth
October 13, 2015
Calcium supplementation is known to increase the risk of kidney stones in postmenopausal women. A new study shows that taking calcium nearly doubles the monthly growth of such stones in women prone to getting them. The study also assessed the effects of vitamin D supplementation. Details are found in the Calcium Supplements Review >>
Too Much Calcium for Some?
June 19, 2014
A new study found that supplementing with even moderate amounts of calcium may cause abnormally high calcium levels in the urine (a risk factor for kidney stones) of some postmenopausal women, even when total calcium intake doesn't exceed the recommended daily allowance. Get the details in the update to the Calcium Supplements Review (Including Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and Magnesium) >>
Caution with Calcium for Women with High Cholesterol
November 02, 2013
A study in which women with high cholesterol were given a daily calcium supplement showed a negative effect in those who were post-menopausal. Get the details, including the calcium dosage used, in the updated Calcium Supplements Review>>
Calcium During Breast Cancer Treatment
August 31, 2013
A recent analysis of clinical studies concluded that supplementation with calcium and vitamin D during breast cancer treatment does not help maintain bone mineral density, although often given for this purpose. Calcium and vitamin D may certainly play other important roles. For more details, as well as test results and comparisons for 33 calcium supplements, see the updated Calcium Supplements Review >>
Calcium and Vitamin D to Prevent Fractures
July 06, 2013
A large study among post-menopausal women receiving hormone therapy showed a much lower rate of hip fracture among those who received a specific calcium/vitamin D supplement compared to those who did not get the supplement. For details about the supplement, as well as test results and comparisons for 13 calcium/vitamin D supplements, see the updated Calcium Supplements Review >>
Calcium May Extend Life or Shorten It, Depending on Amount
June 01, 2013
The right amount of calcium from supplements may reduce the risk of dying over a period of time for some people, says a new study. But too much calcium does not help. In fact, too much may hurt. Be sure you're getting the right amount of calcium. Get the details (and our tests of calcium supplements) in the updated Calcium Supplements Review >>. (For a quick summary about calcium dosage, be sure to read the section "What You Need to Know About Calcium Supplements.")
Calcium Risk for Women
February 23, 2013
A long-term study found that women with high calcium intakes from their diets were 40% more likely to die during the study than women with moderate calcium intake. Worse, the risk of death was 157% higher for women with high dietary calcium intake who also took a calcium supplement. What should you do? Get the details in the recent update to the Calcium Supplements Review and read our latest recommendations on calcium intake in the What You Need to Know section.)
Risk from Too Much Calcium from Supplements
February 16, 2013
A major study found that adequate intake of calcium from the diet and other sources was associated with a lower risk of men and women dying from cardiovascular disease over the 12-year period of the study. HOWEVER getting over a certain amount of calcium from supplements was associated with 20% higher risk of men dying from cardiovascular disease. For more information, see the recent update to the Calcium Supplements Review >>
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack
May 27, 2012
A recent study found a much higher risk of heart attack among people who used calcium supplements than among those who did not. Increased calcium from food was not associated with increased risk. Some other recent studies have raised similar concerns about calcium supplementation. What does this mean for you? See our update to the Calcium Supplements Review for more information. More >>
Women-Vitamin Study - Key Points
October 11, 2011
You may have heard this week about a new study which found a higher risk of death among women who used certain supplements. It's a complicated study, but we've summarized some key findings. Bear in mind that only white women ages 55 to 69 were enrolled in the study and they were followed for 22 years.
Those taking calcium supplements had a 3.8% reduced risk of death. The calcium benefit ended, however, when taking more than 900 mg per day from supplements. It's worth noting that experts suggest many older women who take calcium supplements may not need to -- see the Calcium Supplement Review for more.
The mineral most strongly associated with an increased risk of death was iron, which showed a risk increase of 3.9% -- and the risk increased as the dose increased, particularly over 50 mg per day. However, the study grouped dosages of under 50 mg together, making it hard to determine the risk of low dosages of iron, such as those in many multivitamins. However, there is very little reason why a postmenopausal woman should be taking iron -- see the Iron Supplement Review for more.
Although not as statistically meaningful, other supplements were associated with the following increases in the risk of death during the study: multivitamins (2.4%), vitamin B6 (4.1%), folic acid (5.9%), magnesium (3.6%), zinc (3.0%), and copper (18.0%). An abstract of the study is online.
The bottom line: Don't take a supplement you don't need. If you want to know how much of each vitamin and mineral you need from your total diet and how much is too much, see our chart at www.consumerlab.com/rdas/.
Those taking calcium supplements had a 3.8% reduced risk of death. The calcium benefit ended, however, when taking more than 900 mg per day from supplements. It's worth noting that experts suggest many older women who take calcium supplements may not need to -- see the Calcium Supplement Review for more.
The mineral most strongly associated with an increased risk of death was iron, which showed a risk increase of 3.9% -- and the risk increased as the dose increased, particularly over 50 mg per day. However, the study grouped dosages of under 50 mg together, making it hard to determine the risk of low dosages of iron, such as those in many multivitamins. However, there is very little reason why a postmenopausal woman should be taking iron -- see the Iron Supplement Review for more.
Although not as statistically meaningful, other supplements were associated with the following increases in the risk of death during the study: multivitamins (2.4%), vitamin B6 (4.1%), folic acid (5.9%), magnesium (3.6%), zinc (3.0%), and copper (18.0%). An abstract of the study is online.
The bottom line: Don't take a supplement you don't need. If you want to know how much of each vitamin and mineral you need from your total diet and how much is too much, see our chart at www.consumerlab.com/rdas/.
Kidney Stones Linked to Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation
July 19, 2011
A recent report showed that women taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement over a period of several years were 17% more likely to develop kidney stones than women who did not take the supplement. ConsumerLab.com reviewed this study. While the findings are correct, there seems to be no reason to give up vitamin D supplements and a small concern with calcium supplementation. Get the details in the update to the Calcium Supplements Review >>. The new information is also found in an update in the Vitamin D Supplements Review >>.
Calcium and Vitamin D for Girls
February 01, 2011
In a recently published study, girls ages 9 to 13 were given, twice a day, a supplement with calcium and vitamin D. After 6 months, significant increases were found in bone density and strength compared to girls who received placebo. Get the amounts and types of calcium and vitamin D taken, as well as more information, in the Review of Calcium Supplements or the Review of Vitamin D Supplements.
