Calcium drugs used in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, a study found. It is analyzed that the risk of occurrence of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction is increased by 15%.
The research team of the National Cancer Center International Cancer Center Graduate School Myeong Seung-kwon and Professor Kim Hong-bae of the Department of Family Medicine at Hanyang University Myongji Hospital announced on the 22nd that the result of meta-analysis of the clinical trial appeared like this.
The research team conducted meta-analysis by selecting 13 studies conducted in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, among papers published in international journals from 1990 to 2013.
As a result of the analysis, the risk of coronary artery disease such as angina pectoris and myocardial infarction was 15% higher in the case of taking a calcium drug than in the case of taking a placebo.
In particular, the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women without underlying disease was significantly higher. The research team found that many postmenopausal women, including in Korea, were involved in taking calcium drugs for the purpose of preventing or treating osteoporosis or fractures.
Currently, academia recommends about 700 to 1,200 mg of calcium per day for adults over 50 years of age for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. If it is difficult to eat through food, it is also recommended to supplement with calcium.
The research team interpreted that supplementation of calcium in the form of a calcium agent rather than food could cause cardiovascular disease due to blood vessel calcification due to an increase in serum calcium concentration for a long time. In addition, as calcium in the blood is involved in blood vessel coagulation, there is an interpretation that excessive calcium intake can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
To prevent osteoporosis and fractures, the research team recommended eating food, aerobic exercise, smoking cessation, and maintaining a standard weight instead of supplements such as health functional foods or pills.
“In 2018, at the Special Committee on Disease Prevention Services (USPSTF) under the U.S. Department of Human Services, it was concluded that supplementing calcium or vitamin D in the form of drugs rather than food was not effective in preventing fractures,” said Director Myung, the lead author of the study. “Calcium If you eat this abundant food frequently enough and practice aerobic exercise regularly, such as walking or running while getting in the sun for 10 minutes or more, you can prevent osteoporosis and fractures.”
The study was published in the January issue of’Nutrients’, an international academic journal of the SCIE.