Women's Health

Calcium Poses No Increased Risk Of Cardiac Ailments In Women

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Despite studies that may have turned off older women from taking calcium supplements, experts and new findings say there is no increased risk of having cardiovascular problems – if women communicate with their doctors and take the supplements properly. “I don’t think women should be overly concerned about taking calcium supplements in the recommended doses,” said Dr. Jaime Gerber, an associate clinical professor of medicine and clinician in the cardiology department at the Yale School of Medicine. There is “no real clear indication” that taking calcium supplements heightens people’s risk for cardiac ailments, he said. Traditionally, many women – particularly those who are approaching menopause or who are post-menopausal – have taken calcium supplements in an effort to ward off osteoporosis, a disease that reduces bone density and affects women more commonly than men. About 54 million people in the United States are affected by osteoporosis and low bone mass, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, and that number is expected to jump to 64.4 million by 2020.

Women's Health

Can Blueberries Help Control Blood Pressure In Women?

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Women trying to combat high blood pressure may have a new weapon in their arsenal: blueberries. Daily consumption of blueberries has been shown to lower blood pressure and lessen arterial stiffness in post-menopausal women, according to a new clinical trial. The trial, which took place in Florida and recently was published in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, examined the effects the fruit had on 48 women. Post-menopausal women provided a meaningful test group, according to study authors, because they typically are more likely than others to have hypertension, or high blood pressure, and to develop arterial stiffness, which increases their risk for cardiovascular disease. Over the course of eight weeks, the women were randomly assigned to take either 22 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder, which equals about a cup of fresh blueberries, or 22 grams of a placebo powder.