Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Increased Heart Disease Risk
Recently there has been an increasing number of studies linking vitamin D to its protective abilities against low bone density and certain types of cancers. Additionally there is growing evidence suggesting that a vitamin D deficiency may adversely affect the cardiovascular system, but data from longitudinal studies are lacking. For this reason, researchers evaluated an offspring study involving 1739 participants that was initiated in 1971. They examined the association between vitamin D status and disease risk status. Their findings showed that people with low vitamin D levels had a higher rate of cardiovascular events. This raises the possibility that treatment of a vitamin D deficiency, through supplementation or lifestyle measures, could reduce heart disease risk. Further clinical and experimental
studies may be warranted to confirm this conclusion.For more information go to the journal Circulation, January 2008.
Recently there has been an increasing number of studies linking vitamin D to its protective abilities against low bone density and certain types of cancers. Additionally there is growing evidence suggesting that a vitamin D deficiency may adversely affect the cardiovascular system, but data from longitudinal studies are lacking. For this reason, researchers evaluated an offspring study involving 1739 participants that was initiated in 1971. They examined the association between vitamin D status and disease risk status. Their findings showed that people with low vitamin D levels had a higher rate of cardiovascular events. This raises the possibility that treatment of a vitamin D deficiency, through supplementation or lifestyle measures, could reduce heart disease risk. Further clinical and experimental
studies may be warranted to confirm this conclusion.For more information go to the journal Circulation, January 2008.