Calcium supplements linked to increased heart attack risk
August 3rd 2010, Lysaker, Norway - In a new study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers indicate that calcium supplements increase the risk of myocardial infarction by as much as 30%. The study is a meta-analysis of 15 randomized trials on calcium supplements conducted in the last 20 years totalling 12 000 participants.
Due to the widespread use of calcium supplements, especially among women over 50, the potential for an increase in heart attack related illness could be staggering. The researchers write "Even a small increase in incidence of cardiovascular disease could translate into a large burden of disease in the population." Professor Ian Reid of the University of Auckland, head of the researchers, told NutraIngredients.com "The risks outweigh the benefits."
Calcium supplements are routinely recommended by doctors to patients 50+ to help combat various bone and skeletal degradations. However, it is well known that some cardiovascular diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, are caused by calcium deposits blocking arteries. The problem may appear when calcium is taken alone.
There are two crucial vitamins known to be involved in calcium metabolism; vitamin D and vitamin K2. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and vitamin K2 activates the proteins responsible for directing the calcium to the bone where we want it and out of the arteries where it can have detrimental negative effects.
The general western diet is about 30% deficient in vitamin K2. Hence, with excess calcium in the body and vitamin K2 deficiency, the calcium deposits in the coronary arteries. People can avoid this unfavorable calcium balance by taking a daily dose of natural vitamin K2 supplement as MenaQ7; the most clinically proven and documented vitamin K2 source.
Professor Cees Vermeer, leader of VitaK, the largest research group on vitamin K worldwide has provided the following comments to this study:
"This study confirms a previous one from the same authors and demonstrates that increased calcium intake results in an increased risk for cardiovascular calcification and mortality.
As was also commented by Drs. Paul Battle (Denver) and Peter Wilding (Lincoln) in the same journal, the underlying mechanism is simple: the only mechanism for arteries to protect themselves from calcification is via the vitamin K-dependent protein MGP. MGP is the most powerful inhibitor of soft tissue calcification presently known, but non-supplemented healthy adults are insufficient in vitamin K to a level that 30% of their MGP is synthesized in an inactive form. So protection against cardiovascular calcification is only 70% in the young, healthy population, and this figure decreases at increasing age.
Obviously, an increased calcium load (by taking calcium supplements) will be beneficial for bone strength, but at the same time it will worsen the situation for the vasculature. The rational strategy to counteract artery calcification and optimize cardiovascular protection is to increase vitamin K intake.
Large population-based studies have demonstrated that vitamin K2 is far more effective than K1 in this respect. During recent years our studies have demonstrated that vitamin K2 in the form of menaquinone-7 rapidly increases MGP activity.
In my opinion it should be mandatory to combine calcium supplementation with vitamin K2."
For more information:
CEO Morten Sundstø
Tel: +47 950 61860