Elderly risk of leg artery blockage doubled with low vitamin D levels
People with low levels of vitamin D in their blood were found to double their risk of developing peripheral artery disease, which is an often serious blockage of arteries in the leg especially common in older adults, according to a new research report.
The findings grew out of a study of nearly 4,900 adult Americans that found the risk of developing the disease – known as PAD – was more than doubled between those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood and those with the lowest.
Results of study were announced at the American Heart Association’s Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Annual Conference 2008 and simultaneously published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.
PAD occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits, reducing blood flow to the legs. PAD affects about 8 million Americans and is associated with significant disease and death, according to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2008 Update.
