Elevated calcium levels shoots-up heart attack risk

Elevated calcium levels shoots-up heart attack risk: Higher calcium levels in the bloodstream determine a person’s increased risk of developing coronary artery disease and heart attack, a new study suggests.

A new study conducted by Dr. Susanna C. Larsson, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and her colleagues highlighted the importance of calcium to the system, mentioning its role in blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, and muscle contraction. They also explained that their study was spurred by previous research that suggested a correlation between calcium levels and CAD. However, they note that the observational nature of former studies meant that their results were inconclusive, and a causal link between high calcium content in the blood and CAD or heart attack could not be proven.

Dr. Larsson and her colleagues opted for a different approach. They used a technique called mendelian randomization, a method using genetic variants – that is, genetic differences that allow us to tell how susceptible we are to particular conditions and diseases – to test for causal links between calcium levels and CAD or heart attack. As expected, they found that a higher risk of CAD and heart attack was linked to a genetic predisposition to a higher calcium concentration in the blood. The researchers also took an interest in the effect of calcium supplements on individuals already predisposed to higher levels of calcium. However, they were unable to confirm whether a supplement intake would also impact the risk of CAD or heart attack in these cases. Dr. Larsson and her colleagues highlighted the need for further investigation on this count.

“Whether the risk of CAD, associated with lifelong genetic exposure to increased serum calcium levels can be translated to a risk associated with short-term to medium-term calcium supplementation is unknown.”

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