Ask The Doctors: January 2012 Women’s Edition

The connection between calcium supplements and heart disease is unclear. Some studies have shown risk, while other studies have shown benefit. The most recent meta-analysis of clinical trials in the British Medical Journal found a mildly increased risk of heart attack and other major adverse cardiac event in women taking calcium supplement. Therefore, the current recommendation is that you talk with your primary care physician, who will balance your risk of heart disease with your risk of osteoporosis.