Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Extra sunshine and vitamin D supplements may help ward off heart disease in people with low vitamin D levels, two new studies suggest.The studies build on the researcher's previous work linking low levels of vitamin D to an increased risk for heart disease.
Vitamin D vs. Heart Disease: Study Details
The first study involved more than 9,400 patients whose blood tests revealed low vitamin D levels during a routine trip to the doctor. Their average vitamin D level was 19.3 nanograms per milliliter; levels of 30 are generally considered normal.
At their next follow-up visit, about half had raised their vitamin D levels to above 30 nanograms per milliliter.
Compared with patients whose vitamin D levels were still low, patients who raised their vitamin D levels were 33% less likely to have a heart attack, 20% less likely to develop heart failure, and 30% less likely to die between the two visits.
In the second study, the researchers placed more than 41,000 patients into three categories based on their levels of vitamin D normal, moderate deficiency, and severe deficiency. Then they combed their medical records to see who had been diagnosed with heart disease or stroke.
As expected, patients with severe deficiency were most likely to have been diagnosed with heart disease or stroke.
Then the researchers put all the information into a computer algorithm to see if there is an optimal level of vitamin D when it comes to heart disease prevention.
posted by emedinfo
@10:13 PM
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