Home | Login | Subscribe Today!Sep. 2, 2010
 Pharmacist's Practice Pearl from Pharmacist's Letter

Dear SDPhA Member,

Pharmacist's Letter and South Dakota Pharmacists Association are pleased to offer SDPhA members the Pharmacist's Practice Pearl. This monthly resource gives you some of the valuable recommendations and information available in the full Pharmacist's Letter service. Read on for the Pharmacist's Practice Pearl or...

Subscribe to the full Pharmacist's Letter service

You'll get a valuable service that saves your time and keeps you abreast of significant developments in drug therapy…PLUS, as an SDPhA member, you'll get a year of CE credits and PDA Version included free with your subscription.

Practice Pearl - September 2010

     Recent news reports are causing many worried patients to ask whether calcium supplements cause heart attacks.
     This all stems from a new meta-analysis suggesting that patients over 40 who take calcium 500 mg/day or more have more heart attacks.
     The theory sounds plausible...too much calcium might lead to vascular calcification and atherosclerosis.
     But tell people not to jump to conclusions.
     This analysis does NOT prove that calcium increases MI risk...and it only looks at people taking calcium alone.
     It doesn't address the role of dietary calcium or vitamin D.
     Higher vitamin D levels are associated with a LOWER cardiovascular risk...but this isn't proven, either.
     The Institute of Medicine will come out with new calcium and vitamin D recommendations this fall.
     Continue to advise people to use calcium supplements if needed...but not to exceed recommended amounts. Tell people to consider their total calcium intake from supplements PLUS foods.
     Recommend aiming for calcium 1000 mg/day for adults under 50...and 1200 mg/day for adults over 50.
     Many people get about half this amount in their diet.
     To figure out dietary calcium, have people count 300 mg/day from NON-dairy foods...plus 300 mg/cup of milk, fortified orange juice, etc.
     Also recommend vitamin D 800 to 2000 IU/day for adults to maintain adequate levels and help prevent fractures.
     Lean towards using vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) because it's more active...but D2 (ergocalciferol) will also increase levels.
     Feel free to use our PL Patient Handout, Calcium and Vitamin D, to explain the safety and benefits of calcium and vitamin D...and how to calculate the amount of calcium needed depending on diet.

View Detail-Document #260901
 What's a Detail Document?
 Learn more about Pharmacist's Letter
 Subscribe to the entire Pharmacist's Letter service
Copyright © 2010 Pharmacist's Letter. Illegal to reproduce and/or forward.
PharmacistsLetter.com

Click here to Subscribe Today!
Return to top
Pharmacist's Letter: September 2010; Vol: 26, No. 9
Return to top
Click here to Subscribe Today!

Pharmacist's Letter is an independent service, providing unbiased information to subscribers, who are its sole means of support. No advertising of any kind is accepted.

Users of this document are cautioned to use their own professional judgment and consult any other necessary or appropriate sources prior to making clinical judgments.

Our editors have thoroughly researched the information with input from experts, government agencies, and national organizations.

Information and Internet links in this article were current as of the date of publication.

© 1997-2010 by Therapeutic Research Center. All rights reserved. No part of Pharmacist's Letter or its associated Detail-Documents presented either on paper or in electronic form may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from Therapeutic Research Center.

Reprint exceptions:
1. A single copy for personal use by subscriber is permitted.
2. Documents that are Patient Handouts may be reproduced by a subscriber and handed to patients without written permission.
More for SDPhA Members
Useful Links
  
Home | Search or Browse | Index of Topics | Privacy Policy | Email Us
Therapeutic Research Center
3120 W. March Lane, PO Box 8190, Stockton, CA 95208, Tel:(209) 472-2240 Fax:(209) 472-2249
Copyright © 1995-2010, All rights reserved.