Vitamin D supplements offer limited cardiovascular benefits, and calcium supplements may even do harm
Vitamin D supplements do not provide significant cardiovascular benefits, according to a new analysis in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In addition, the authors added, some research has suggested that calcium supplements can be harmful to a person’s cardiovascular health; they are to be used with extreme caution.
“Vitamin D and calcium supplements are commonly used, often together, as means to optimize bone health,” wrote lead author Erin D. Michos, MD, a professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues. “In the United States, more than one-third of adults consume these supplements, and among older adults, the prevalence is much higher. Given their widespread availability, low cost, and escalating use, the cardiovascular effects of such supplements are of great clinical and public health interest from the standpoints of both cardiovascular safety and cardiovascular health promotion.”
Michos et al. focused on evidence from a variety of randomized controlled trials, noting that a majority of trials do not support the use of vitamin D supplements as a way to improve your cardiovascular health.
One study, the team observed, did find that supplements can increase the level of 25(OH)D in a person’s blood, but this change “did not translate into a reduction in the primary outcome of cardiovascular disease and death.” The increase was also not associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure or venous thromboembolism.
The researchers recommended that individuals looking to boost their cardiovascular health using vitamin D try to achieve that goal through “specific foods and modest sunlight exposure” instead of supplements.
The team also explored the potential impact of taking calcium supplements, noting that it has been suggested by numerous studies that they may increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular complications, kidney stones or colon polyps.
Of course, the team added, there are instances where taking a calcium supplement may make perfect sense for an individual.
“Certain subgroups, particularly those with very low calcium dietary intake and persons with increased calcium needs, may indeed benefit from supplementation,” the authors wrote. “For example, among pregnant women with low calcium diets, calcium supplementation may reduce the risk for pre-eclampsia. In persons at risk for osteoporosis, moderate calcium intake (1,000 to 1,200 mg/day) in combination with vitamin D can reduce the risk for fractures; thus calcium supplementation may be considered to make up any gaps in intake not achieved from food sources.”
Even with these exceptions in mind, the team still explained that “the potential for harm with calcium supplements, particularly at higher doses, should give practitioners pause before prescribing.”
“Calcium supplementation should be used cautiously and judiciously, and achievement of recommended daily allowances of calcium from dietary food sources should be encouraged,” the authors concluded.
The full study is available here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.