Calcium supplements not linked to coronary artery calcification in RA patients

For patients with rheumatoid arthritis taking oral calcium supplements, higher levels of calcium in the bloodstream were not associated with an increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis, according to a newly published study in Arthritis and Rheumatology.

Dr. Laura Geraldino-Pardilla of Columbia University, New York, and her associates reviewed data from 145 RA patients without known CVD from a prospective cohort study, and used a multidetector CT scan to assess the patients’ levels of coronary artery calcium (CAC), a measure of coronary atherosclerosis, at baseline and through regular follow-ups.

They found baseline CAC scores greater than 100 units were significantly less frequent in the higher-dose supplemental calcium group (at least 1,000 mg/day) than in the lower-dose group (less than 1,000mg/day) (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.11-0.74), even after adjustment for relevant confounders (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.09-0.93).

Read the entire article online at Arthritis & Rheumatology 2015 (doi: 10.1002/art.39100).