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Published on: July 3, 2013
Association of calcium supplement with risk of incident arrhythmia
Ru Chen1, Duqiu Liu2, Chenxing Yang3
1Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Clinic Center of Human Gene Research, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Insights
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and bradyarrhythmia. This finding suggests a need for careful consideration of potential risks before initiating calcium supplementation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Clinical Electrophysiology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Calcium is vital for cardiac function, yet its link to arrhythmias is not fully understood.
- The impact of habitual calcium supplement intake on incident arrhythmia risk requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between regular calcium supplement use and the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias.
- To determine if calcium supplementation influences the risk of specific arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation/flutter, ventricular arrhythmia, and bradyarrhythmia.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 480,972 participants from the UK Biobank.
- Habitual calcium supplement use was assessed as the primary exposure.
- Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyze the incidence of arrhythmias over a median follow-up of 11.69 years.
Main Results:
- Calcium supplement use was linked to a higher risk of total arrhythmias (HR 1.11), including atrial fibrillation/flutter (HR 1.20), ventricular arrhythmia (HR 1.14), and bradyarrhythmia (HR 1.18).
- Significant interactions were found between calcium supplementation and factors such as estimated glomerular filtration rate, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and polygenic risk scores for atrial fibrillation.
Conclusions:
- Habitual calcium supplement intake is associated with an increased risk of incident cardiac arrhythmias.
- Clinical decisions regarding calcium supplementation should involve a thorough assessment of potential arrhythmic risks, particularly in susceptible individuals.
Background And Aims:
Calcium plays a crucial role in cardiac electrophysiology, but the association between calcium supplement and the risk of incident arrhythmia remains unclear.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between habitual calcium supplement and incident risk of cardiac arrhythmia.
Methods:
We conducted a prospective study of 480,972 participants from the UK Biobank. Habitual calcium supplement was treated as the main exposure. The primary outcome was the incidence of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF/AFL), ventricular arrhythmia (VA), and bradyarrhythmia. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results:
After a median follow-up of 11.69 years, 46,609 incident arrhythmia cases were documented, including 36,406 AF/AFL, 5,370 VA, and 14,226 bradyarrhythmia. After multivariable adjustment, calcium supplement was associated with an increased risk of total arrhythmias (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.19), AF/AFL (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.28), VA (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21), and bradyarrhythmia (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.11-1.26). Significant interactions were observed between calcium supplement and estimated glomerular filtration rate, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and polygenic risk score for AF (all p for interaction < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Calcium supplement was associated with an increased risk of incident arrhythmia. Careful evaluation of the potential arrhythmic risk is warranted when considering calcium supplement in individuals with clinical indications.
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