Childhood diets high in calcium may lower mortality from cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the journal Heart. Here are some suggestions for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease:

•  Advocacy to create and sustain effective tobacco-control programs.

• Weight reduction, often achieved by the combination of reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity

• Dietary patterns that emphasize whole-grain foods, vegetables, and fruits and that limit red meat, full-fat dairy products, and added sugars 

Researchers from the University of Bristol conducted a 65-year follow up study of diet and health in children from over 1,300 families in pre-war Britain. The researchers ascertained what had happened to over 4,300 children between 1948 and 2005.

The researchers found that those who had childhood diets rich in calcium had a reduced risk of death from stroke. They also found that increased calcium and dairy intake led to lower all-cause mortality in adulthood. They did not find any relationship between dairy product intake and either coronary heart disease or stroke.

Today’s research suggests that a childhood diet of calcium may help to reduce the risk of stroke later in life, and a diet rich in calcium and dairy products may reduce the risk of overall mortality in adulthood.