Dementia risk increased with calcium supplements in certain women

1. Dementia risk increased with calcium supplements in certain women
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of developing dementia in senior women with cerebrovascular disease, finds a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Cerebrovascular diseases are conditions caused by problems that affect the blood supply to the brain. The four most common types of cerebrovascular disease are stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), subarachnoid hemorrhage, and vascular dementia.  These diseases are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and increase the risk of developing dementia. “Osteoporosis is a common problem in the elderly. Because calcium deficiency contributes to osteoporosis, daily calcium intake of 1,000 to 1,200 mg is recommended. Getting this recommended amount through diet alone can be difficult, so calcium supplements are widely used,” says study author Silke Kern, M.D., Ph.D. with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.  “Recently, however, the use of supplements and their effect on health has been questioned,” she adds.