Researchers evaluated health data collected from the WIH trial in addition to national mortality index data to determine whether long-term daily calcium and vitamin D supplements affect women’s risk of cancer and heart disease. It was judged.

The researchers specifically looked at whether the women who initially participated in the WIH trial developed cancer, heart disease, suffered hip fractures, or died in the years after the trial.

Researchers found that women who took calcium and vitamin D supplements had a 7% lower risk of dying from cancer over 22 years compared to women who took a placebo.

They also found that people who took the supplement had a 6% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular effects were most pronounced in women who had been taking the supplements before they were assigned to take them as part of the trial.

Supplements do not appear to have a noticeable effect on overall morbidity of cancer, heart disease, hip fractures, or all-cause mortality.

“This study found a long-term association between calcium and vitamin D supplementation in postmenopausal women and reduced cancer mortality and increased cardiovascular disease mortality, with no difference in all-cause mortality. “It turns out that there is,” Professor Chen explained.

It’s unclear why exactly calcium and vitamin D supplements affect the development of cancer, but some studies suggest that these supplements suppress the development of cancer. tumor invasivenesshinder angiogenesis in and around the tumor (or angiogenesis), and affects intestinal function and the production of bile acids.

Past evidence also suggests that vitamin D specifically increases the suppression of oncogenes and regulates inflammation in the body.

It may also reduce cancer cell proliferation and increase cell death, says Fredrik Schumacher, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Schumacher was not involved in this research.

A recent meta-analysis examining the results of five trials found that vitamin D supplementation was associated with a 13% reduction in cancer mortality.

Although the evidence regarding calcium and vitamin D supplementation and heart disease is mixed, some researchers suspect that excessive calcium intake may cause calcification of coronary arteries, thereby increasing the risk of death from heart disease. Masu.

Previous studies have also identified an association between calcium supplements and an increased risk of coronary heart disease, regardless of whether people also took vitamin D supplements.

Coronary artery calcification is the hardening and narrowing of arteries over time due to calcium deposits and plaque buildup. This can increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke,” says Michelle Ruthenstein, MS, RDN, CDECS, CDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourished.

Ruthenstein was not involved in the research.

According to Chen, calcium and vitamin D supplementation is regularly recommended for people who don’t get enough calcium in their diet and for postmenopausal women.

The main uses of supplements are Prevent osteoporosis However, its use is controversial.

Previous research has shown that physicians often disagree about the optimal dose and dosage of calcium and vitamin D supplementation, and some physicians have expressed concern that long-term health effects are unknown. ing. the study.

Dr. Ruthenstein says people with low calcium levels should be given calcium supplements.

Not getting enough calcium increases the risk of osteoporosis, a risk factor for heart disease, she added.

That being said, it’s important to be careful and intentional when taking supplements.

“If calcium supplements are used without evaluating current calcium intake, excess calcium may contribute to coronary artery calcium progression,” Rosenstein says.

More research is needed to determine the ideal duration and dosage, Schumacher said.

The authors report several important observations related to nutrition and long-term health in postmenopausal women, but these results need to be replicated. Furthermore, the generalizability of these findings needs to be evaluated in additional groups, especially more diverse populations,” Schumacher said.

Calcium and vitamin D supplements may reduce the risk of death from cancer and potentially slightly increase the risk of death from heart disease in postmenopausal women, new research suggests. In the United States, older women’s diets tend to be low in vitamin D and calcium, and many doctors recommend supplements for this age group. This new study highlights how future research is needed to better understand the long-term health effects associated with daily supplement use.