Calcium supplementation reduces blood pressure during pregnancy: results of a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Fifty-two healthy pregnant women were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. After the 26th week of gestation, the women were given either 1.5 g of elemental calcium per day or a placebo. Subjects in the calcium group, after adjustment for race and initial blood pressure (BP), had a term mean systolic and diastolic BP value of 4-5 mmHg lower than those in the placebo group (P less than .05). The incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension was 11.1% in the placebo group and 4.0% in the calcium group, a nonsignificant difference. Combining these values with previous data, we found a dose-effect relationship between calcium intake and BP reduction during the third trimester of pregnancy. Further research should be directed at understanding the mechanism of this effect and trying to demonstrate a reduction in pregnancy-induced hypertension with calcium supplementation in a larger population.
Villar
J
J
Repke
J
J
Belizan
J M
JM
Pareja
G
G
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002118:Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000187:drug effects*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011897:Random Allocation
D002118:Calcium