INDIAN WELLS, CALIF. — Educated women of high socioeconomic status do not appear to get enough daily calcium, Andrea Stein, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society.
In a survey of 180 middle-aged patients seen in her gynecology practice, in a wealthy area of the Los Angeles region, more than 50% apparently consumed less than 1,000–1,500 mg of calcium per day, Dr. Stein said.
Overall, 86% of the patients had a college degree, and 36% had an advanced degree, she noted. All were 45 years old or older.
Of the 99 patients taking no medications, 75% took a calcium supplement only once a day or less, and 48% had a milk product once a day or less. Of the 60 patients on hormone therapy, 68% took a calcium supplement once a day or less, and 43% had a milk product once or less a day.
For the 21 patients taking a bisphosphonate, raloxifene, or calcitonin, the percentages were 48% and 33%.
A single calcium supplement or a single serving will not provide the recommended amount of calcium for a woman aged 50 years or older, which is 1,200–1,500 mg/day, noted Dr. Stein, whose practice is in Santa Monica, Calif.
Calcium supplements contain only 500–600 mg elemental calcium per tablet, because that is the maximum an individual can absorb at any one time. A single serving size of skim milk, yogurt, or cheese contains only about 300 mg or less of calcium.
The survey findings suggest that women of high socioeconomic status are somewhat better at getting adequate calcium than those of low socioeconomic status, but only marginally so, Dr. Stein said in an interview. According to data from the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 80% of low-income women do not get adequate daily calcium.