Calcium Supplementation Linked to Higher Risk of CVD Recurrence

In patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD), calcium supplementation was associated with an increased risk of recurrent CVD events and related hospitalizations, particularly with calcium-only use and among men. In this large retrospective population-based study from Hong Kong, 17,720 matched patients receiving calcium supplements were compared with an equal number of non-users, using propensity score matching to balance baseline characteristics. Over long-term follow-up, calcium supplementation was linked to a 10% higher risk of recurrent adverse CVD events and a 16% higher risk of CVD-related hospitalization or emergency visits. Notably, calcium-only supplementation was associated with a significantly higher recurrence risk, whereas combined calcium and vitamin D use was not associated with increased risk. The association was also more pronounced in men than in women. These results are in line with previous findings and raise important safety concerns and suggest that caution is warranted when using calcium supplements in patients with pre-existing CVD. Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/