Youth and Long-Term Dietary Calcium Intake With Risk of Impaired Glucose Metabolism and Type 2 Diabetes in Adulthood

CONTEXT:

To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the role of youth calcium intake in the development of impaired glucose metabolism, especially those with long-term high calcium intake.

OBJECTIVES:

To examine whether youth and long-term (between youth and adulthood) dietary calcium intake is associated with adult impaired glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:

The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study is a 31-year prospective cohort study (n = 1134; age, 3 to 18 years at baseline).

EXPOSURES:

Dietary calcium intake was assessed at baseline (1980) and adult follow-up visits (2001, 2007, and 2011). Long-term (mean between youth and adulthood) dietary calcium intake was calculated.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Adult impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and T2D.

RESULTS:

We found no evidence for nonlinear associations between calcium intake and IFG or T2D among females and males (all P for nonlinearity > 0.05). Higher youth and long-term dietary calcium intake was not associated with the risk of IFG or T2D among females or males after adjustment for confounders, including youth and adult body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS:

Youth or long-term dietary calcium intake is not associated with adult risk of developing impaired glucose metabolism or T2D.