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Calcium supplementation does not affect CRP levels in postmenopausal women--a randomized controlled trial
1Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. a.grey@auckland.ac.nz
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Calcium supplementation did not alter C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in healthy postmenopausal women. CRP levels correlate with insulin resistance markers but do not predict bone mineral density or cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Bone Metabolism
Background:
- Epidemiological studies suggest calcium supplementation may reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
- C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker and a CVD risk factor.
- CRP production may be influenced by parathyroid hormone.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of daily calcium supplementation on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in healthy postmenopausal women.
- To examine the relationship between CRP, bone mineral density (BMD), and markers of metabolic syndrome.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving healthy postmenopausal women.
- Measurement of high-sensitivity CRP at baseline and 12 months.
- Assessment of anthropometric measures, BMD, and metabolic syndrome markers.
Main Results:
- Baseline CRP levels positively correlated with body weight, fat indices, and BMD, but these associations were lost after adjusting for body weight.
- Consistent associations were observed between CRP levels and markers of metabolic syndrome, including fat mass, triglycerides, and fasting glucose.
- No significant difference in CRP levels was found between the calcium supplementation group and the placebo group after 1 year.
Conclusions:
- Calcium supplementation (1 g daily) did not affect CRP levels in healthy postmenopausal women over 1 year.
- CRP levels are associated with insulin resistance features but do not predict BMD or CVD risk in this population.
- The findings suggest calcium's role in CVD prevention may not be mediated through modulation of CRP levels.
Introduction:
Epidemiological studies suggest that calcium supplementation may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Methods:
Since the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and CRP production is potentially responsive to parathyroid hormone, we measured high-sensitivity CRP at baseline and 12 months in a subset of healthy postmenopausal women participating in a randomized controlled trial of the effects of 1 g of calcium daily on the incidence of fractures.
Results:
At baseline, we found that CRP correlated positively with indices of body weight and fat and with bone mineral density (BMD) at the total body and total hip sites, but the associations between CRP and BMD were lost after adjustment for body weight. There were consistent associations between levels of CRP and markers of the metabolic syndrome (fat mass, plasma triglycerides, fasting glucose).
Conclusion:
After 1 year of calcium supplementation, there was no difference between the groups in levels of CRP. We conclude that levels of CRP correlate with anthropometric and biochemical features of insulin resistance, but that they are neither predictive of BMD nor affected by 1 g of calcium supplementation in healthy postmenopausal women.
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