Heart Disease Health Center

CT Scan Predicts Heart Attack, Death

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At this point, these questions haven't been answered. And that's why some doctors aren't comfortable with the test. Discuss the ultra-fast CT scan with your doctor and see what he or she thinks. Then the two of you can come up with a plan to determine your heart disease risk.

An interesting question comes up from time to time when discussing calcium and heart disease. Since calcium in the heart is found in blocked arteries, does this mean that the calcium supplements you take for osteoporosis can cause heart disease?

The answer is "no." Calcium supplements will not increase the risk of developing heart disease -- it may actually decrease that risk. The calcium in blocked arteries results from inflammation. Calcium in the diet or from supplements does not affect this process.

In fact, a study from the University of South Carolina in Columbia showed that a higher intake of calcium may decrease the chance of dying from heart disease -- at least for women after menopause. They also found that calcium from the diet, supplements, or both, could protect the heart. So your heart should rest easy when it comes to taking calcium to protect your bones.