Acute Effects Of Oral Calcium Carbonate With And Without The Addition Of Omeprazole And Fiber Enriched Milk On Serum Calcium Concentrations In Postmenopausal Women

Introduction: In recent years, some studies have shown an increase in cardiovascular risk due to the use of calcium supplements in excess of the recommended doses. One hypothesis is that some calcium supplements lead to a more pronounced elevation of serum calcium concentrations. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum calcium responses after ingestion of calcium carbonate, with and without the prior use of omeprazole, and after ingestion of soluble fiber enriched milk (SFM). Method: Five postmenopausal women were evaluated in three phases. For each phase, the serum calcium responses were determined at 0h (baseline), 1h, 2h, 3h and 4h. After ingestion of 1200mg of calcium, both for the patients who received the calcium carbonate and for those who received SFM. The rise in serum calcium observed after ingestion of calcium carbonate with a calcium peak of 0.56 mg/dl (p=0.032), and it was higher when compared to SFM 0.26 mg/dl (p=0.284). There was no significant elevation of serum calcium after ingestion of SFM. Results: The calcium responses were negative after the administration of omeprazole in comparison with the use of calcium carbonate and SFM, reaching 7.06mg/dl vs 9.04mg/dl vs 9.12mg/dl at 0h, 5.30mg/dl vs 9. 32mg/dl vs 9.00mg/dl at 1hr, 5.52mg/dl vs 9.48mg/dl vs 9.32mg/dl at 2hr, 5.18mg/dl vs 9.48mg/dl vs 9.34mg/dl at, respectively. In conclusion, our data show that the same amount of SFM induced a lower serum calcium response when compared to calcium carbonate. Conclusion: The use of omeprazole significantly reduced the intestinal absorption of calcium carbonate.