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Dietary calcium and pregnancy-induced hypertension: is there a relation?^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, and the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Western Human Nutrition Research Center, University of California, Davis.

The evidence that calcium plays a role in the etiology, prevention, and treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is reviewed. The precise factors involved in the pathogenesis of PIH are unclear, but several alterations in calcium metabolism have been identified. Epidemiologic data suggest an inverse correlation between dietary calcium intake and incidence of PIH. Although evidence suggests a possible beneficial effect of supplemental calcium, contradictions persist in clinical trials of pregnant women. Presently, there is insufficient evidence to support routine calcium supplementation of all pregnant women. However, high-risk groups, such as pregnant teens, populations with inadequate calcium intake, and women at risk of developing PIH, may benefit from consuming additional dietary calcium.

Key Words: Dietary calcium • calcium supplementation • pregnancy • blood pressure • pregnancy-induced hypertension • gestational hypertension • preeclampsia • eclampsia