Calcium pills pose 'heart risk'

People who take calcium supplements could be increasing their risk of having a heart attack, according to researchers in Germany. Calcium is often taken by older people to strengthen bones and prevent fractures. But the study, published in the journal Heart, said the supplements "should be taken with caution". Experts say promoting a balanced diet including calcium would be a better strategy. The researchers at the German Cancer Research Centre, in Heidelberg, followed 23,980 people for more than a decade. They compared the number of heart attacks in people who were taking calcium supplements with those who did not

Vitamin D may protect from cardiovascular events (USA)

"Although many vitamins and supplements have been rigorously tested in large scale clinical trials for their role in the prevention of diseases, little is known about the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of cardiovascular disease. In new analysis of vitamin D and calcium research published in the last 43 years, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital have found an association between vitamin D supplement use and a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. These findings are published in the March 2 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. 'In this analysis of the limited available research, we have found that vitamin D supplements in moderate-to-high doses may reduce the risk of CVD and that calcium supplementation seems to have a minimal effect on the prevention of CVD,' said Lu Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the paper and an instructor of medicine in the Division of Preventive Medicine at BWH"

Calcium scans may be effective screening tool for heart disease

"A simple, non-invasive test appears to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with silent heart disease who are at risk for a heart attack or sudden death. Coronary artery calcium scans can be done without triggering excessive additional testing and costs, according to the multi-center EISNER (Early Identification of Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Noninvasive Imaging Research) study, led by investigators at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute. The findings appear in the September 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology" - ScienceDaily

High calcium level in arteries "signals heart attack risk"

High calcium level in arteries may signal serious risk of heart attack, according to a new study. The study, published in the online edition of Radiology, claims that scientists may be able to predict future severe cardiac events in patients with known, stable coronary artery disease, thanks to coronary calcium scoring - ANI