Overview

• The analysis followed 1,460 community-dwelling Australian women aged 70 and older who received either 1,200 mg/day calcium carbonate or placebo for five years.
• Over a total of 14.5 years, dementia-related hospitalisations and deaths did not differ between groups, with an unadjusted intention-to-treat hazard ratio of 0.90 (95% CI 0.71–1.15).
• Results were consistent after adjusting for supplement adherence, lifestyle factors, dietary calcium intake, and genetic risk.
• The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health—Western Pacific, provide reassurance for clinicians and patients using calcium for bone health in later life.
• Authors and experts caution that the evidence pertains to older women in this cohort and recommend future randomized trials in other populations and with brain-health as a primary outcome.