Researchers from Salt Lake City presented evidence at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Conference in Orlando, Florida, that links vitamin D deficiency to heart disease. For more than a year, the Intermountain Medical Center team followed 27,686 people who were 50 years of age or older with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. The participants had their blood vitamin D levels measured during routine clinical care and were divided into three groups based on their vitamin D levels—normal (over 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml)), low (15-30 ng/ml), or very low (less than 15 ng/ml). The scientist then followed them to see if they developed some form of heart disease.
What did they find? People with very low levels of vitamin D were 77% more likely to die, 45% more likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 78% more likely to have a stroke than those with normal levels. They also found that participants with very low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to suffer heart failure.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: This is thought to be the first study to link vitamin D deficiency with cardiovascular health. Even though it is an observational study, the population of Utah is a good population pool to draw from since its inhabitants tend to abstain from smoking and drinking alcohol, both risk factors that contribute to heart disease. Of course, a more strict study will be conducted, but until then don’t ignore this vitamin! The benefits of supplementing with vitamin D are being uncovered daily by science, and being deficient can put your health at risk.
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