Did anyone read the article in yesterdays Telegraph about the dangers of old people taking calcium and vit D tablets?
Well that's a new one. We are doomed if we do and doomed if we don't! I take it with a pinch of salt.
Well they ( Calceos ) were prescribed for me for the eight years I was on pred. as I couldn’t take Alendronic Acid. What are the detrimental effects supposed to be? I’m still here aged 87 and on no prescription meds.
Do you have a link to the article, please? I had to stop the calcichew quite early on as it was causing palpitations. I was referred to cardiology and the cardiologist agreed with my thinking. I believe there was some research in Canada on calcium. Perhaps Eileen will have some information on this.
Googling calcium Vit D old people Telegraph brings up a 2017 article and, a bit further down, another that says Calcium and Vit. D lessens our chance of dying from cancer. Seems to me you can make data mean whatever is flavour of the month if you are looking for a headline.
Since the Telegraph insists I have to pay to read it, no!
What is the justification? The last media interpretation of research on the calcium thing forgot the criterion that calcium on its own caused the problem which wasn’t seen in people who took both calcium and vit D - and that it applied to HEALTHY subjects eating a good diet. Not people on medication who perhaps weren’t eating as well as they might,
To add: bet they have just found this and it’s low season for news:
All the comment I can find says the same: healthy over 50s on a good diet don;t need supplements. BUT those on certain medications are a different case. Pred is one of those drugs.
Sorry, don’t have the link but you should be able to read article on line in paper yesterday. It said 17% higher chance of a stroke. 
You are living proof it’s OK!
I think my problem was probably due to the fact that I was already eating enough to get the calcium I needed. Who knows? I didn’t get an answer to that one. I also eat a lot of oily fish and take cod liver oil capsules.
Too much calcium and not enough fluids leads to cystitis for me - due to calcium grit forming.
The use of vit K2 supplements is also a good thing to make sure calcium goes where it should.
Yes I read it. First I panicked, then I read the article. It did seem a bit vague, it seems you can take vitamin D and calcium separately but not together. I was not really sure who did the research, but they did say more research was needed. I think it was just a no news day. Even the Daily Mail has nothing to say at the moment.
Thanks again Eileenh, I take both and really do not need to be taking something that detrimental. 
Not pleasant, Eileen. Interestingly, I was advised to drink plenty fluids.
I’ve just changed GPs after 38 years…felt like a real betrayal but, as we’ve got older, I thought it more sensible to have a doctors as close as possible to home. (We had simply stayed with the Practice that was the one we chose, close to our 1st home, 43 years ago!) Anyway, I placed a repeat prescription order online with the new Practice and received a phone call from a very helpful Dr who stated their practice didn’t prescribe Vitamin D and calcium together as the current view was we should be getting enough calcium from our diet. She then spent some time, discussing diet and giving me useful websites to consider.
jane
For those who havent seen it:
Vitamin supplements taken by millions of people can increase the risk of heart disease, a large study suggests .
New research has found links between certain types of daily pills combining calcium and vitamin D and an increased risk of stroke.
US scientists believe the combination may be responsible for atherosclerosis, a disease whereby plaque builds up in the arteries.
Such pills are commonly marketed as necessary to preserve bone strength and aimed at middle-aged and elderly people, whose risk of stroke is already higher.
Overall, it is estimated that around 45 per cent of UK adults take some form of vitamin supplements every day, supporting an industry worth roughly £430 million a year.
Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the new data forms part of a wider set of results suggesting that few nutritional supplements protect against cardiovascular disease or death .
Based on a review of 277 randomised controlled trials comprising nearly one million people, the study also questioned the effectiveness of a Mediterranean-style diet for improving resilience against heart disease.
Dr Safi Khan, who led the research at West Virginia University, said: “A combination of calcium and vitamin D was associated with a higher risk of stroke.”
He added: “Other supplements did not seem to have significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular outcomes.”
The research looked at the effect of 16 different nutritional supplements and eight dietary interventions on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in the adult participants.
It concluded that cutting down on salt and eating omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish, offered some protection against heart disease, meanwhile folic acid offered some protection against stroke.
Supplements combining calcium and vitamin D appeared to increase the risk of having a stroke by 17 per cent.
However, scientists have urged caution in interpreting the results as establishing cause and effect is the field of nutrition is notoriously difficult.
“We found out only a few of the 16 nutritional supplements and one of the eight dietary interventions evaluated had some protective effect in cardiovascular risk reduction,” said Dr Khan.
Supplements that did not appear to have any significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular outcomes included selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D alone, calcium alone, folic acid, and iron.
NHS advice states that most people do not need to take vitamin supplements because they should receive all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a balanced diet.
Thank you for that. In my mind the most important bit is;
“However, scientists have urged caution in interpreting the results as establishing cause and effect is the field of nutrition is notoriously difficult.”
Sounds as though you’ve struck gold.
Except it is different with pred …
I am taking no notice and will continue to take them. Didn’t realise one has to pay to read paper on line.
The Telegraph, yes. I have become a Guardianista - they basically ask for donations if you can manage.