People who consume calcium supplements are a at higher risk of developing a heart attack or a stroke, according to a study which questions taking unnecessary supplements.

The finding which appeared in the journal Heart is based on a large reserch from Germany involving almost 24,000 adult men and women in Heidelberg who were followed for more than 10 years.

The results showed that people who consumed calcium supplements regularly were 86 percent more likely to experience a heart attack than those who did not.

The finding demonstrates “a statistically significantly increased myocardial infarction [heart attack] risk in comparison with non-users of any supplements”, wrote researchers led by Sabine Rohrmann of Zurich University.

The finding is in contrary to some prior studies suggesting that higher calcium intake may be associated with lowered risk of predisposing conditions for heart attack and stroke including high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

According to the new research, individuals who obtained their calcium exclusively from supplements were 2.7 times more likely than non-consumers to experience a heart attack.

“Increasing calcium intake from diet might not confer significant cardiovascular benefits, while calcium supplements, which might raise MI risk, should be taken with caution,” they authors concluded.

The new research has taken the safety of calcium supplements under more scrutiny. Previous findings have tied the highly marketed products to conditions like kidney stones and digestive system problems.