At Mercola.com, Dr. Joseph Mercola discusses a new study that challenges the scientific dogma that using calcium supplements could lead to dementia. Mercola writes:
The post-hoc analysis published in The Lancet Regional Health investigated whether taking calcium carbonate supplements increased dementia risk in older women.3 Researchers followed 1,460 women aged 70 and older who were dementia-free at the start of the study.
Half took 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium carbonate daily for five years, while the other half received a placebo. After an additional 9.5 years of follow-up, the researchers found no difference in dementia-related hospitalizations or deaths between the two groups.
•Older women were the focus because they face the highest risk of both osteoporosis and dementia — Calcium supplementation has long been prescribed to help offset accelerated bone loss in aging women.
However, past observational studies raised fears that supplements could promote calcium buildup in arteries and the brain. To address these concerns, researchers used hospital and death records to track dementia outcomes, providing a rigorous evaluation of calcium’s long-term neurological safety.
•The results showed no increased risk of dementia, hospitalizations, or deaths — Over the study period, 18.4% of participants experienced dementia events — 16.6% were hospitalized for dementia, and 7.8% died from dementia-related causes.
However, the difference between calcium and placebo groups was statistically insignificant. Calcium users had slightly lower — but not significantly different — rates of dementia compared to the placebo group. This finding held true even after adjusting for genetic, cardiovascular, and lifestyle risk factors.
•The researchers also found no effect from how well participants followed their supplement plan — Even among those who took 80% or more of their assigned tablets, known as the per-protocol group, calcium had no adverse effects on cognitive outcomes.
Compliance was similar between groups — about 57% overall — and those who adhered more closely to the treatment had a 27% lower relative risk of dementia, regardless of whether they were in the calcium or placebo group. This suggests healthier behavior patterns, not calcium intake itself, could explain differences in dementia outcomes.
Calcium’s Suspected Link to Dementia Was Largely Theoretical — and This Study Disproved It
Critics had speculated that calcium supplements could cause “intracellular calcium overload,” leading to cell death or calcified deposits in brain tissue. Others feared sudden spikes in blood calcium could damage blood vessel linings. However, no such effects were observed in this long-term controlled study. Researchers found no increase in carotid artery plaque or arterial wall thickening — two markers of vascular calcification — among supplement users.
Read more here.
