New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU), Curtin University, and the University of Western Australia has found that calcium supplements do not raise the long-term risk of dementia in older women.
This finding helps ease earlier worries about the potential negative effects of calcium on brain health.
The study was published in The Lancet Regional Health—Western Pacific. It analyzed data from a previous clinical trial involving 1,460 older women who were given either calcium supplements or a placebo for five years. The results showed that taking calcium supplements did not increase the risk of developing dementia over the long term.
Calcium supplements are commonly recommended for preventing or treating osteoporosis, a condition that affects about 20% of women over age 70. Ms. Negar Ghasemifard, a Ph.D. student at ECU, emphasized that the study’s findings should reassure both patients and healthcare providers about the safety of calcium supplementation when it comes to brain health.
Dr. Marc Sim, a Senior Research Fellow at ECU, added that even after accounting for lifestyle factors, dietary calcium intake, and genetic risk, the results remained consistent.
He highlighted that earlier studies suggesting a link between calcium supplements and dementia were observational. In contrast, this research was a five-year double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which offers more reliable results.
In total, 730 women took calcium supplements and another 730 took a placebo. The follow-up period lasted 14.5 years, allowing the researchers to gather meaningful long-term data.
Professor Simon Laws, director of ECU’s Center for Precision Health, stated that while the findings are encouraging for older women, more research is needed to determine whether the same applies to men or younger women. He suggested that future clinical trials should specifically focus on brain health outcomes and include various demographics.
Professor Blossom Stephan, a Dementia Australia Honorary Medical Advisor, praised the research for providing clear evidence that long-term calcium use is not linked to a higher dementia risk. She noted that calcium plays a vital role in many body functions, especially bone health, and it’s reassuring that it doesn’t appear to harm the brain.
Overall, the study brings peace of mind to older women who rely on calcium supplements for bone health, showing that their use does not appear to raise the risk of dementia.
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The study is published in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific.
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