Women and smokers were at higher risk, found an US trial
Unsupervised calcium and/or vitamin D supplements may cause more harm than good.
Calcium supplements, taken with or without vitamin D, may increase the risk of small growths in the large bowel (colon) called polyps, suggest results from a large US trial published online in the journal Gut.
Polyps are small growths in the lower part of the large bowel. They are non-cancerous, but some could eventually turn into cancer if they are not removed.
The researchers say further studies are recommended to confirm these results – and any possible risks must be weighed against the benefits of supplementation. But given that calcium supplements are taken by millions of people around the world, the findings may have important implications for bowel cancer screening and prevention. Both calcium and vitamin D supplements are available over the counter and given the high incidence of osteoporosis in older women, many start taking the supplements without consulting doctors.
Polyps are small growths in the lower part of the large bowel. They are non-cancerous, but some could eventually turn into cancer if they are not removed.
Polyps come in different shapes and sizes, and this study specifically focused on the risk of serrated polyps, which are less common than conventional “adenomatous” polyps, but likely have the same risk of developing into cancer. Some studies have suggested that calcium and vitamin D may protect against colon polyps, but results have been mixed.
So to investigate further, a team of US-based researchers set out to determine whether taking daily calcium and vitamin D supplements reduce the risk of serrated polyps. They analysed findings from a large US trial involving over 2,000 patients aged between 45 and 75 who had a history of polyps and were due to have a follow-up test (colonoscopsy) in 3 to 5 years.
During the treatment phase, there was no effect of either calcium or vitamin D on cases of serrated polyps. However, during the later observational phase (6-10 years after treatment began), the researchers found increased risks of serrated polyps among patients taking calcium alone and among those taking a combination of calcium and vitamin D.
There was evidence that women and smokers were at higher risk when exposed to calcium supplements, but no association was found between vitamin D alone and the risk of serrated polyps. The results also suggest an association with calcium supplements only, not dietary calcium.