1 Aug 2023 • A recent study aimed to investigate the associations of habitual calcium supplementation with cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and mortality in individuals with and without diabetes. This research included 434,674 participants from the UK Biobank.

• The results showed that over a median follow-up of 8.1 and 11.2 years, there were 26,374 incident CVD events and 20,526 deaths.
• After adjusting for various factors, habitual calcium supplementation was significantly associated with higher risks of CVD incidence, CVD mortality, and all-cause mortality in individuals with diabetes. However, there was no significant association observed between calcium supplementation and these outcomes in individuals without diabetes.
• The study also found significant interactions between habitual calcium supplementation and diabetes status on the risks of CVD events and mortality. In contrast, no significant interactions were observed between dietary or serum calcium and diabetes status.

The findings suggest that habitual use of calcium supplements may be linked to higher CVD risks and mortality in people with diabetes, but not in those without diabetes. Further research is needed to better understand the potential adverse effects of calcium supplements in individuals with diabetes and balance them against any potential benefits.

Source: ADA | Read full story