Long-Term Calcium and Vitamin D Supplement Use May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Kidney Stones

Calcium and vitamin D supplements are associated with high calcium levels in the blood and urine, which could increase the risk of kidney stones, a new study finds. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society’s 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. “The use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation may not be as benign as previously thought,” said principal investigator J. Christopher Gallagher, M.D., professor and director of the Bone Metabolism Unit at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, NE. “Pending further information, people should not exceed the guidelines suggested by the Institute of Medicine, which are 800 international units of vitamin D, and 800-1,200 milligrams per day of calcium.”

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