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Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Cardiovascular
Disease
Reported November 18, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – We all know that vitamin D from milk builds
strong bones – but can it build a healthy heart as well?
A study by researchers at the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical
Center in Salt Lake City suggests that vitamin D contributes to a strong and
healthy heart, and that inadequate levels may significantly increase a
person's risk of stroke, heart disease, and death, even among people who
have never had heart disease.
The Intermountain Medical Center research team followed 27,686 patients who
were 50 years of age or older with no prior history of cardiovascular
disease. They tested participants’ blood vitamin D levels during routine
clinical care. The patients were divided into three groups based on their
vitamin D levels; normal (over 30 nanograms per milliliter), low (15-30 ng/ml),
or very low (less than 15 ng/ml). The patients were then followed to see if
they developed some form of heart disease.
Researchers found that patients with very low levels of vitamin D were 77
percent more likely to die, 45 percent more likely to develop coronary
artery disease, and 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke than
patients with normal levels. Patients with very low levels of vitamin D were
also twice as likely to develop heart failure.
"This was a unique study because the association between vitamin D
deficiency and cardiovascular disease has not been well-established," Brent
Muhlestein, MD, study author and director of cardiovascular research of the
Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center, was quoted as saying. "Its
conclusions about how we can prevent disease and provide treatment may
ultimately help us save more lives."
"Utah's population gave us a unique pool of patients whose health histories
are different than patients in previous studies," said Dr. Muhlestein. "For
example, because of Utah's low use of tobacco and alcohol, we were able to
narrow the focus of the study to the effects of vitamin D on the
cardiovascular system."
Heidi May, PhD, MS, an epidemiologist with the Intermountain Medical Center
research team and one of the study authors, was quoted as saying, "We
concluded that among patients 50 years of age or older, even a moderate
deficiency of vitamin D levels was associated with developing coronary
artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and death. This is important because
vitamin D deficiency is easily treated. If increasing levels of vitamin D
can decrease some risk associated with these cardiovascular diseases, it
could have a significant public health impact. When you consider that
cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America, you
understand how this research can help improve the length and quality of
people's lives."
SOURCE: Presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Conference,
Orlando, FL, November 16, 2009 |
