Taking Calcium Supplements May Bring Dementia, Studies Show

Consistent with a new study, calcium supplements may be associated with an extended risk of dementia in older women who have had a stroke or other signs of cerebrovascular disease. The study is released in the August 2016 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Cerebrovascular disease is a gaggle of disorders that have an impact on blood flow in the brain. These ailments, together with stroke, are the fifth leading causes of death in the United States and increase the threat of dementia. According to the study author Silke Kern, MD, PhD with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Osteoporosis is a common problem in the elderly. Because calcium deficiency contributes to osteoporosis, daily calcium intake of 1000 to 1200 mg is recommended. Getting this recommended amount through diet alone can be difficult, so calcium supplements are widely used. Recently, however, the use of supplements and their effect on health has been questioned.

This study involved 700 dementia-free females between the ages of 70 and 92 who were followed-up for 5 years. Participants took tests on the beginning and end of the trial, together with exams of memory and cognition skills. A CT brain scan was then performed in 447 participants on the start of the study.

Scientists also checked out the use of calcium dietary supplements in the individuals and whether or not they have been diagnosed with dementia over the course of the trial. A total of 98 females were taking calcium dietary supplements on the start of the study and 54 women had already developed a stroke. During the trial, 54 more women had strokes, and 59 ladies developed dementia. Among the many females who had CT scans, 71% had lesions on their brains’ white matter, which is a marker for cerebrovascular disorder.

The study observed that the women who were treated with calcium supplements were twice as likely to have dementia as the women who did not take supplements. But when the researchers additionally analyzed the information, they observed that the higher risk was best among women with cerebrovascular disease.

Women with a history of stroke who took dietary supplements had a practically seven times extended chance of having dementia than women with a past history of stroke who did not take calcium supplements. Women with white matter lesions who took dietary supplements were thrice as prone to develop dementia as women who had white topic lesions and did not take dietary supplements. Women without a history of stroke or women without white matter lesions had no improved chance when taking calcium supplements.

In summary, 14 out of 98 females who took dietary supplements developed dementia, or 14%, in comparison with 45 out of 602 women who didn’t take dietary supplements, or 8%. A total of 6 out of 15 females with a history of stroke who took supplements developed dementia, compared to 12 out of 93 women with a history of stroke who did not take dietary supplements. Among the many women with no past history of stroke, 18 out of eighty three who took dietary supplements developed dementia, in comparison with 33 out of the 509 who did not take supplements.

According to author, It is important to note that our study is observational, so we cannot assume that calcium supplements cause dementia.

The author also noted that the study was small and that outcome cannot be generalized to the total population, and extra studies are wanted to verify the findings. He further said that calcium from food influences the body in another way than calcium from supplements and appears to be trustworthy or even protective in opposition to vascular issues.

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