Aunt Zhang, who suffers from osteoporosis and has been taking calcium tablets, recently discovered coronary artery calcification. She wonders if this vascular calcification is caused by calcium supplementation and whether she can continue to take calcium tablets in the future. Is the cause of vascular calcification due to excessive calcium supplementation? Today, let me give you a detailed introduction to the origin and development of this disease, so that you don't have to worry about calcium supplementation. Why do blood vessels calcify? Calcification is essentially the "calcification point" formed by the deposition of calcium from various sources at the site of inflammation, similar to the "scar" during skin wound healing. Many organs in the human body may experience calcification, in addition to blood vessels, such as calcifications caused by tuberculosis and calcifications in the male prostate. With the growth of age, blood vessels will also age, especially after atherosclerosis, the vascular wall of atherosclerotic plaque will be formed. Under the stimulation of inflammation, calcium will deposit and form calcification. The higher the degree of calcification in the coronary artery region, the more serious the coronary atherosclerosis, the greater the risk of cardiovascular events. However, vascular calcification can sometimes be a 'good thing'. The main risk of atherosclerotic plaque is "easy to burst". Once it bursts, impurities in the plaque will flow into the blood vessels, which will induce platelet aggregation to form thrombus, laying the foreshadowing for myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. However, calcified vascular plaques are relatively "hard" and less prone to rupture, which in a sense protects the blood vessels. Is vascular calcification related to calcium supplementation? Osteoporosis is a common bone metabolism problem, and due to various reasons, the rate of "new bone" formation is slower than the rate of "old bone" loss, resulting in bones becoming increasingly "furry". Early osteoporosis may have no symptoms, but as the condition worsens, the tiny structures inside the bones also change, and patients may feel pain and are prone to fractures. The main treatment for osteoporosis is calcium supplementation and increased nutrition. In contrast, the core mechanism of vascular calcification is chronic inflammation of the vascular wall and imbalance of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, rather than simply supplementing calcium itself. Therefore, reasonable calcium supplementation generally does not lead to or worsen vascular calcification. Only when long-term excessive calcium supplementation or abnormal calcium metabolism occurs, it may increase the risk of vascular calcification. What is the safe intake of calcium? According to the recommendations of the American Society for the Prevention of Heart Disease, the total daily intake of calcium should not exceed 2000mg to 2500mg, which is safe for the cardiovascular system. Adults need to consume 800 to 1000 milligrams of calcium per day (older adults may have poorer absorption), while our diet has a lower calcium intake, averaging around 400 milligrams per day. The recommended daily dose for commonly used calcium supplements is around 600 milligrams, and the sum of the two is just right. Therefore, reasonable calcium supplementation does not increase the risk of vascular calcification. Like Aunt Zhang in this article, who suffers from both vascular calcification and osteoporosis, she can still continue to supplement calcium. Wen/Wang Fang (Beijing Hospital) (News Agency)