Adherence to the Recommended Intake of Calcium and Colorectal Cancer Risk in the HEXA Study

• Published in: Cancer research and treatment Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 140 - 147
• Main Authors: Lee, Jeeyoo, Shin, Aesun, Choi, Ji-Yeob, Kang, Daehee, Lee, Jong-Koo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Cancer Association 01.01.2021; 대한암학회
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Calcium - pharmacology; Calcium - therapeutic use; Colorectal Neoplasms - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; 의학일반; Recommended intake of calcium; Calcium intake; Colorectal neoplasms; Korea
• ISSN: 1598-2998; 2005-9256
• DOI: 10.4143/CRT.2020.480

Dietary calcium intake has been suggested to be protective against the development of colorectal cancer. The mean dietary calcium intake of Koreans is 490 mg/day, which is far below the recommended calcium intake of 700-800 mg/day. In this study, we explored the relationship between dietary calcium intake and colorectal cancer development in Koreans with relatively low calcium intake compared with individuals in Western countries. The Health Examinees Study, a large-scale genomic community-based prospective cohort study, was designed to identify the general characteristics of major chronic diseases in Koreans. A total of 119,501 participants aged 40-69 years recruited between 2004 and 2013 were included in this analysis. The calcium intake level was categorized using the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs). The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for colorectal cancer risk, adjusting for potential confounders. In the multivariable-adjusted model, compared with the group that consumed less than the recommended amount of calcium, the group that consumed more than the recommended intake of calcium showed a significant reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer in women. (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.95). Among men, however, no significant association was observed between dietary calcium intake and colorectal cancer risk (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.54 to 1.45). Korean women who adhere to the recommended intake of calcium showed a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.