The Calcium Question

Calcium supplements - should I take them or not?  is one of the most frequently asked questions in general practice this year. Initial concern was raised by a study which showed an increase in the risk of cardiac disease in patients taking calcium supplements.  This was followed by two pooled data studies which have tended to confirm the intial suspicions.  All these studies suffer from critical flaws and are of generally poor quality but despite this it remains concerning that they have consistently reported similar risks.
At present the evidence would suggest that on the balance of probabilities, calcium supplements may not be a good idea for most patients, though the matter is by no means settled 'beyond reasonable doubt'.
It is thought that the high peak levels of calcium obtained when using supplements (and particularly soluble supplements) are the cause of the problem.  This may also explain why high levels of calcium in food do not seem to have the same effect.

If you are currently taking calcium supplements, we recommend you make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor.  It remains Sumner Health Centre policy to prescribe calcium supplements where the benefits outweigh the risks, usually to people who have a daily food calcium intake less than 1000mg per day.