Lack of vitamin D increases risk of heart attacks

By William Atkins
Sunday, 06 July 2008 19:55

Science - Health

According to a new U.S. study, the lack of vitamin D in men increases the risk of having a heart attack and the development of heart disease. Although the study was performed only on men, the scientists apply the results to women, too.


The article published by the researchers in the June 9, 2008 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine is entitled “25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Men ” (2008;168(11):1174-1180).

They state in the abstract to their paper, “Vitamin D deficiency may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease in humans.”

Specifically, they assessed whether plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations are associated with the risk of coronary heart disease.

The blood (serum) 25-hydroxyvitamin D test is used to determine the nutritional status of vitamin D in the blood stream. Generally, the optimal level of 25[OH]D is 35 to 55 nanograms per milliliter but normal levels are considered between 16 and 74 nanograms per milliliter.

The study was performed over a ten-year period. It used 18,225 male subjects who were 40 to 75 years of age.

The participants were part of a Health Professionals Follow-up Study. All of the men were free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease, as per blood tests returned between primarily April 1, 1993 and November 30, 1999.

During ten-years of follow up study, 454 men developed nonfatal myocardial infarction (heart attack) or fatal coronary heart disease.

After taking into account smoking, age, physical activity, alcohol consumption, history of diabetes, ethnicity, and other vital characteristics associate with heart disease, the researchers found that vitamin D can lesson the risk of heart attack.

Additional information follows.