Table 4.
Summary of randomized clinical trials of calcium supplementation (with and without vitamin D) that reported the events of cardiovascular disease.
| Source | Country | Study Subjects | Intervention | Duration | Primary Endpoints |
Main findings on CVD endpoints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium Supplement only | ||||||
| Baron et al, 1999 [39] | U.S. | 672 M&258 W, 61 y (mean) | 1200 mg/d as calcium carbonate Placebo |
4 years | Recurrence of colorectal adenoma | N of hospitalized cardiac events: 50 (11%) in calcium group 46 (10%) in placebo group N of hospitalized stroke vents: 12 (3%) in calcium group 11 (2%) in placebo group |
| Prince et al, 2006 [40] | Australia | 1460 W, >70 y | 1200 mg/d (in 2 divided dose) as calcium carbonate Placebo |
5 years | Clinical fracture, vertebral deformity | RR of diagnosed CHD in intervention vs. placebo: 1.12 (0.77–1.64) |
| Bolland et al, 2008 [42] | New Zealand | 1471 W, postmenopausal, 74 y (mean) | 1000 mg/d as calcium citrate Placebo |
5 years | Fracture incidence, bone density | RR of CVD events in intervention vs. placebo group: 1.49 (0.86–2.57) for MI 1.37 (0.83–2.28) for stroke 0.51 (0.13–2.01) for sudden death 1.21 (0.84–1.74) for composite CVD |
| Reid et al, 2008 [43] | New Zealand | 323 M, ≥40 y | 1200 mg/d and 600 mg/d as calcium citrate Placebo |
2 years | Bone mineral density | Composite vascular events: N=3 in 1200 mg/d calcium group N=2 in 600 mg/d calcium group N=0 in placebo group P=0.24 |
| Calcium + Vitamin D Supplement | ||||||
| Brazier et al, 2005 [44] | France | 192 W, >65 y | 1000 mg/d as calcium carbonate and vitamin D 800 IU/d (in 2 divided dose) Placebo |
1 year | Bone mineral density | N of adverse cardiovascular events: 6 (6.3%) in treatment group 5 (5.2%) in placebo group |
| Hsia et al, 2007 [45] | United States | 36,282 W, postmenopausal, 50–79 y | 1000 mg/d as calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 400 IU/d (in 2 divided dose) Placebo |
7 years | Fracture incidence | RR of CVD events in intervention vs. placebo group: 1.04 (0.92–1.18) for total CHD 1.05 (0.91–1.20) for nonfatal MI 1.01 (0.79–1.29) for CHD death 0.95 (0.82–1.10) for total stroke |
| Lappe et al, 2008 [46] | United States | 1179 healthy W, postmenopausal, >55 y | 1400 mg/d as calcium citrate or 1500 mg/d as calcium carbonate and vitamin D placebo Calcium and 1000 IU vitamin D3/d Double placebos |
4 years | Fracture incidence | Total vascular event rate: 4.76/1000 person-year in calcium group (with and without vitamin D), 6.94 /1000 person-year in placebo group RR=0.69 (not statistically significant) |
Abbreviation: M: men; W: women; CVD: cardiovascular disease; CHD: coronary heart disease; CABG: coronary artery bypass surgery; PCI: percutaneous coronary interventions; MI: myocardial infarction; RR: relative risk.
Amount of calcium provided in the table is elemental calcium dosage.