Low-calcium tap water linked to higher heart attack risk
Water calcium of 0–35 milligrams per liter was linked to 30% higher relative heart attack risk than 80–140 milligrams per liter over a median 15.0 years.
Limit: Water exposure was assigned by baseline address rather than individual intake
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
An observational study followed 500,000 UK Biobank participants to examine links between calcium in tap water and heart attacks. Researchers matched participants’ baseline home addresses to calcium concentrations from water suppliers. They recorded 11,369 heart attacks during a median follow-up of 15.0 years.
Lower water calcium was associated with higher heart attack risk after researchers accounted for age, sex, diet and lifestyle. Water calcium was also positively associated with calcium levels in blood. In a separate lab experiment, human cells from the lining of umbilical veins had lower viability—a measure of their ability to stay alive—in lower-calcium conditions.
Why it matters
Heart attack prevention matters for cardiovascular health as people age. The findings suggest drinking-water calcium may warrant attention in public health research.
Caveats
The observational study cannot establish causation, and researchers assigned water exposure by baseline address rather than individual intake. The conference abstract did not report participants’ ages or sex breakdown, and the cell experiments do not establish effects in people.
