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." Taking
vitamin supplements has become a widespread practice throughout
many parts of the world. In the United States alone, it is
estimated that nearly two-thirds of women take vitamin
supplements, with calcium and vitamin D among the most commonly
used. Despite their popularity, the precise health