Calcium supplementation of 1g per day is associated with a 20% increased risk of cardiovascular death in men.
Men who use calcium supplementation increase their cardiovascular risk. This link does not exist in women, according to an American study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Half of elderly Americans and 70% of Americans would use calcium supplements to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, especially during menopause.
The prospective study conducted by the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda followed 389,000 patients aged 50 to 71 for 12 years. A quarter of the men and more than half of the women have used calcium supplementation. Over this period, 7,904 deaths were recorded in men and 3,874 in women.
Statistically, taking 1g per day of calcium is associated with a 20% increased risk of cardiovascular death in the male population. This increase goes to 33% in smokers and 44% in hypertensive people. This increased cardiovascular risk is not observed for women. Several hypotheses are put forward to explain this finding, but the authors of the study do not retain any.
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