CAD, MI Risk Linked to High Serum Calcium Levels

High serum calcium levels were associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI), according to a recent study.

Using Mendelian randomization, researchers analyzed data for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in 2 large genome-wide association meta-analyses. A total of 60,801 individuals with CAD (approximately 70% with MI), and 123,504 individuals without CAD were included in the final analysis. The researchers weighted associations of each SNP with CAD and MI by its association with serum calcium, and the estimates were combined using inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis. Primary outcomes were the odds of CAD and MI.
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Analyses showed that genetically elevated serum calcium levels were associated with increased odds of CAD and MI. After adjustments for confounders, 6 SNPs related to serum calcium levels and without pleiotropic associations with potential confounders were estimated to explain about 0.8% of the variation in serum calcium levels.

Inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis showed that a 0.5 mg/dL increase in genetically predicted serum calcium levels was associated with an odds ratio of 1.25 for CAD and the odds ratio of 1.24 for MI.

“A genetic predisposition to higher serum calcium levels was associated with increased risk of CAD and myocardial infarction,” the researchers concluded. “Whether the risk of CAD associated with lifelong genetic exposure to increased serum calcium levels can be translated to a risk associated with short-term to medium-term calcium supplementation is unknown.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Larsson SC, Burgess S, Michaëlsson. Association of genetic variants related to serum calcium levels with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction [published online July 25, 2017]. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.8981.