On Friday, January 13, Dr. Andrea Singer (Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology Georgetown University Medical Center and Clinical Director, National Osteoporosis Foundation) provided Endocrine Grand Rounds attendees with an exceptional summary and analysis of available data bearing on the risks and benefits of calcium supplement use in post-menopausal female patients -- "Calcium Supplements: Good for the Bones, Bad for the Heart?" -- speaking particularly to the controversy about whether these supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dr Singer rested her “bottom line” conclusions on a position statement from the NOF and ASPC, which states that “obtaining calcium from food sources is preferred, but supplemental calcium can be safely used to cover and shortfall in dietary intake. Discontinuation of supplemental calcium for safety reasons is not necessary and may, in fact, be detrimental to bone health in situations where intake from food is sub-optimal.”
“...Obtaining calcium from food sources is preferred, but supplemental calcium can be safely used to cover and shortfall in dietary intake...."