title: Calcium supplementation reduces the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension in an Andes population.
abstract: Previous studies have suggested that increased dietary calcium is associated with a decreased occurrence of pregnancy-induced hypertension. In this study 106 young healthy nulliparous women, residing in Quito, Ecuador, were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. From 24 weeks gestation until delivery they received either 2 g of elemental calcium per day or a placebo. Calcium supplementation was associated with a significantly decreased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, with 4.1% developing pregnancy-induced hypertension in the treatment group versus 27.9% in the placebo group. Treatment was associated with a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure over the course of pregnancy. In addition, there was a small but significant increase in serum ionized calcium levels in the calcium-supplemented group during the treatment period.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Metabolismo y Nutricion, Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad Central, Quito, Ecuador.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: López-Jaramillo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narváez
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Weigel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yépez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002125:Calcium Gluconate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004484:Ecuador; D005260:Female; D005942:Gluconates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D005942:Gluconates; D002125:Calcium Gluconate; D002118:Calcium