Taking Vit D and Calcium Supplements together can cause Strokes

hollydolly

hollydolly

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A study by US scientists, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal , found a link between certain types of pills that combine vitamin D and calcium with strokes. Researchers think the combination could cause atherosclerosis, a disease that occurs when fatty substances build up in the arteries. If left untreated this can block the flow of blood to the heart or brain, ultimately causing strokes or heart attacks.

Doctor Safi Khan, who led the research at West Virginia University, explained: “A combination of calcium and vitamin D was associated with a higher risk of stroke.

“Other supplements did not seem to have significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular outcomes.”

As part of the study, the team reviewed 277 randomised controlled trials that involved almost one million people.

The effect of 16 different supplements and eight different diets on mortality and the heart were analysed.

It found that reducing salt and eating omega-3 fatty acids - such as oily fish - helped prevent heart diseases. And it concluded that folic acid could protect against strokes.

However, it showed supplements made up of vitamin D and calcium increased the risk of stroke by 17 percent.

The study said: “Calcium plus vitamin D increased the risk for stroke. Other nutritional supplements, such as vitamin B6, vitamin A, multivitamins, antioxidants, and iron and dietary interventions, such as reduced fat intake, had no significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular disease outcomes.”
 

For anyone who would prefer to get Vitamins from food instead of supplements, here's a list of which foods are rich in Vitamins and minerals

vitamins-4237379.webp
 
DebraMae said:
Oh wow, and I've been taking that because of osteopenia.
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Me too, though not together in a single supplement, but both types at approx same time. I wonder if it is okay as long as the Calcium and VitD aren't in one pill? The drug info for the injection I get for the osteoporosis says to take calcium and vit D to avoid low blood calcium levels. I thought vitamin D helps with calcium absorption.
 
HoneyNut said:
Me too, though not together in a single supplement, but both types at approx same time. I wonder if it is okay as long as the Calcium and VitD aren't in one pill? The drug info for the injection I get for the osteoporosis says to take calcium and vit D to avoid low blood calcium levels. I thought vitamin D helps with calcium absorption.
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No.. they're talking about taking 2 supplements but at the same time
 
Interesting. My doctor years back recommended against a calcium/D supplement. I forget why. He did, however, strongly suggest a vitamin D supplement. Where I live in the far north, every doctor should recommend vitamin D supplement due to our lack of sun. I take 5000 IU a day of D3. And when I get a blood test I also request vitamin D levels to make sure my levels are not too high.
 
So researching more I found this ....

Dr. Kopecky said studies that don't rely on questionnaires later found that the use of calcium and vitamin D supplements did not increase one's risk of stroke or heart attack. "That has no correlation whatsoever," said Dr. Kopecky. (However, a number of factors can increase your risk of having a stroke, including being overweight, binge drinking, and not getting enough exercise.)


Dr. Kopecky added that if you've been told to take calcium and vitamin D supplements by your healthcare provider, you shouldn't stop. If you've been taking the supplements on the advice of someone else, though, you might want to reevaluate. "I would speak to a caregiver or primary care provider. Say, 'Do I really need this stuff?

https://www.health.com/mind-body/calcium-and-vitamin-d-supplements

Then again a different view..

Two new reviews throw cold water on the health promises of dietary supplements, particularly vitamin D and calcium, as well others, with experts concluding their intake should be avoided or discouraged for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.


In the first review, published January 25, 2021, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Erin Michos, MD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD), and colleagues state that supplemental vitamin D for cardiovascular health should be discouraged because there is no solid evidence, including from recent randomized controlled trials, that it provides any benefit for cardiovascular risk reduction.


“The pendulum has now swung, and the sun has set for vitamin D, at least for heart health,” said Michos. While vitamin D doesn’t appear to cause any harm, people would be better off getting their fill through a healthy diet and moderate sunlight exposure, she said.


Calcium supplements, on the other hand, which are widely used for bone health, might even cause cardiovascular harm; for this reason, they should be taken “cautiously and judiciously,” the researchers advise. Instead, getting enough calcium through diet should also be encouraged. “For calcium, I’m a little bit more concerned,” said Michos. “There is some inconsistency in the literature, but I think there is enough of a worrisome signal, and enough studies suggesting harm, that there should be some counseling around this and patients should be aware [of the potential risk.]”
https://www.tctmd.com/news/vitamin-d-calcium-other-vitamins-and-supplements-do-not-prevent-cvd
 
When in doubt, do some research and talk to a doc you have confidence in. Keep in mind that after osteopenia and osteoperosis started being in news a lot many foods added calcium. There's the obvious natural sources like dairy products but there's even orange juice with added calcium.

So reading labels of things for the % of daily requirement might give you a better idea of how much cacium you are getting. I've talked on another thread about how i had a scare something was wrong with parathyroid glands when urine test due to UT discomfort revealed way too much calcium in my system. I stopped taking calcium tablet and it cleared up quickly.
 
I have been taking meds for osteopenia for years. My doctors recommend supplements of vit D and calcium. In three years my bone density test improved from osteoporosis to the lesser osteopenia, and has stabilized over a decade. My blood tests results monitor all, and are always within the normal range.
I've never heard of this study. However, it is one man's opinion. I'm sticking to the tried and true suggestions of certified physicians......not one study in a news article. That is how panic starts.
Listen to the experts for your individual cases, not here.
 
Alligatorob said:
I think many of us, me included probably take too many supplements.

At best they are mostly a waste of money, at worst something like this.
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I'm pretty good about not overloading myself with supplements. I take just one B Complex.. and One D3 plus K2 supplement per day.. and I don't even take the D3 in summer because I'm always outside in the sun, and I Drink cows milk, and eat eggs regularly as well as veggies.. so I get enough D3 in summer without the supplement ..
 
hollydolly said:
The study said: “Calcium plus vitamin D increased the risk for stroke. Other nutritional supplements, such as vitamin B6, vitamin A, multivitamins, antioxidants, and iron and dietary interventions, such as reduced fat intake, had no significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular disease outcomes.”
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Wife's taking these...

IMG_20220820_080319696.jpg
 
Well I guess I will just change and take a half calcium supplement in the morning and evening, that is what I was supposed to be doing (since I got the Prolia shot) but I figured more is better and was taking a whole calcium supplement in the evening and a half in the morning. It sounds like having a high calcium level in the blood is what can cause the problems in those studies above. While I was reading about calcium I noticed a symptom of low blood calcium can be dry scaly skin. I was having permanent dry skin on the back of my hands but it went away since I started traveling, but that coincides with having gotten the Prolia shot and starting calcium supplements, so maybe I was a tad low in calcium.
 
I just take a multivitamin and hope for the best. All I can do is trust they have a safe amount of "x" in regards to the "y" in them.
 
It's interesting that many of the people who have migrated from the Middle East to the west are now suffering with rickets because they don't eat dairy foods, or get the same amount of sunshine.
 
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