Study Ties Intake of Calcium to Elevated Risk of Heart Disease and Death in Patients With Kidney Disease

A new study published in the journal Lancet links calcium intake to the increased risk of heart disease and death in kidney patients.

The study conducted by  Women's College Hospital's Dr. Sophie Jamal states that kidney patients who consume calcium supplements to reduce the phosphorous levels face a 22 percent risk of death when compared to those who rely on non calcium treatments.

This study challenges the age old practice of prescribing calcium to patients with chronic kidney disease in order to reduce phosphate levels.

According to the study, some of the calcium enters the blood stream and the part that is not absorbed by the blood may accelerate hardening of arteries causing a high risk of heart disease and leading to death in worst cases.

Cardiovascular death is one of the leading causes of death among people with chronic kidney disease in the United States.

"Doctors commonly prescribe calcium supplements to prevent elevated phosphate levels, which can damage the body, but a growing number of studies have shown calcium supplements may actually increase the risk of heart disease," says Dr. Sophie Jamal, a physician at Women's College Hospital. "Our study validates these claims and, for the first time, shows the long-term consequences of taking calcium supplements can be dangerous for patients with kidney disease."

For this study the researchers analyzed 11 studies that included 4,600 patients. The researchers examined their risk of heart disease, including heart attack, stroke and hardening of the arteries.

They noticed a 22 percent reduction in death in those who took non calcium treatments like sevelamer and lanthanum. As well as the hardening of artery was less in non calcium treatment patients.

This study proves that doctors should stop relying on calcium and adopt different a different route in their treatment of kidney patients, says study's senior author Ross Tsuyuki from the University of Alberta.

The study also states that the physicians should use non calcium treatments as the first line of treatment to reduce phosphate levels in patients with chronic kidney disease.