NEW DELHI: Beware of calcium pills! Popped by millions of women and senior citizens for strong bones, it apparently has a potentially dangerous side effect. The pills could increase chances of suffering a cardiac arrest, claims a new study.
An international panel of researchers -- many of them from New Zealand's Aberdeen and Auckland University -- claim those who take calcium supplements to improve bone density face a 30% higher risk of heart attacks. It could also increase the risk of minor episodes of stroke and mortality.
The researchers, who published their study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Friday, came to the conclusion after reviewing 11 random controlled trials of calcium supplements, which involved 12,000 patients.
The findings were consistent across trials, and were independent of age, gender and types of supplement.
The researchers maintained calcium supplements could rapidly increase calcium levels in blood, leading to arterial disease.
The Times of India
