Lee Swanson Research Update

Greater Calcium Intake May Lead to Fewer Strokes

An increased intake of calcium, particularly from dairy, may reduce the risk of stroke by 30%, according to a new study from Japan.

The study followed 41,526 Japanese men and women aged between 40 and 59, and the results are published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke.

Diet is known to have an impact on a person’s risk of having a stroke, and in particular a connection has been made between intake of sodium and hypertension. Conversely, more magnesium, potassium and calcium has been inversely linked to hypertension in some observational studies.

Despite these links, the researchers stated that no prospective studies have examined the link between calcium intake and the incidence of stroke in Japanese men and women with a low average calcium intake.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba, Osaka University and Japan’s National Cancer Center, and National Cardiovascular Center, used food frequency questionnaires to assess dietary intakes of the 41,526 men and women in the study.

Over the course of the study, which lasted from 1990 to 2003, the researchers documented 1,321 strokes, and 322 cases of coronary heart disease.

Lead author Mitsumasa Umesawa reports that total calcium intake from all sources was associated with a 30% reduction in the risk of having a stroke. The researchers concluded: “Dietary calcium intake, especially calcium from dairy products, was found to be associated with a reduced incidence of stroke among middle-aged Japanese.”

Stroke Published online ahead of print.

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