HEALTH: Calcium supplements could give you a heart attack

Milking those calcium supplements could hurt your heart.

People who took calcium pills were 22% more likely to have plaque buildup in their arteries, the Journal of the American Heart Association reported.

Researchers at John Hopkins Medicine analyzed 10 years of medical tests on more than 2,700 people in a federally-funded heart study, and found an association between the supplements and atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup that hardens and narrows the arteries, which can cause heart attacks and strokes by blocking blood flow.

The scientists still don’t know why exactly the supplements damage the heart. In fact, getting calcium naturally from foods like milk and yogurt is shown to help prevent heart disease.

“There is clearly something different in how the body uses and responds to supplements versus intake through diet that makes it riskier,” said Dr. John Anderson, a nutritionist who co-authored the report, in a statement. “It could be that supplements contain calcium salts, or it could be from taking a large dose all at once that the body is unable to process.”

You can still indulge in dairy to get your calcium fix. But the 43% of American men and women who take calcium pills — especially women over 60 looking to prevent osteoporosis — might want to cap it. Especially since many people are taking supplements without a doctor’s supervision.

“When it comes to using vitamin and mineral supplements, particularly calcium supplements being taken for bone health, many Americans think that more is always better,” said Dr. Erin Michos, a heart disease prevention expert who helped write the report. “But our study adds to the body of evidence that excess calcium in the form of supplements may harm the heart and vascular system. Patients should really discuss any plan to take calcium supplements with their doctor to sort out a proper dosage or whether they even need them.”

This comes on top of a new JAMA report that reveals more than half of Americans take supplements, and more people begin taking them as they get older.

And a linked JAMA editorial warns that many supplements are “little more than placebos,” and even the ones that are proven to be useful are often overused or may interact adversely with medications. It suggests that doctors should start asking patients to share any supplements they take when giving their medication history.